Genghis Grill

Genghis Grill is an American fast-casual restaurant brand built around a customer-designed Mongolian barbecue-style meal. Guests generally select ingredients from an assortment of proteins, vegetables, sauces, and other additions, after which the food is cooked on a large grill and served as a stir-fry. The format combines the choice and visual appeal of an interactive food bar with the speed and relatively accessible pricing associated with fast-casual dining. The concept began in 1998 when Jeff Sinelli acquired the goodwill of a defunct Dallas Mongolian barbecue restaurant and relaunched the business under the Genghis Grill name. Rather than operating as a conventional single-menu restaurant, the brand emphasized participation and customization: customers could assemble their own combinations and watch the cooking process take place on the grill. This model placed Genghis Grill within the broader American Mongolian-barbecue restaurant category, which adapts stir-fry cooking and grill-centered service for the U.S. casual-dining and fast-casual market. In 2004, Al Bhakta and partners in the Chalak Group purchased the company from its original franchisor. The ownership change helped establish the brand under a new operating group and supported its continued development as a franchised restaurant chain. In 2017, Mongolian Concepts was formed as a parent organization bringing together Genghis Grill, bd's Mongolian Grill, and Flat Top Grill. The combination grouped several restaurant concepts with related grill-and-customization formats under one corporate structure. Gregg Majewski, a former Jimmy John's executive, became chief executive of Mongolian Concepts in 2021. Under that structure, Genghis Grill continued to operate as a multi-unit restaurant brand while facing the challenges common to experiential and buffet-adjacent formats, including labor costs, real-estate economics, franchise support, and changing consumer demand. In 2023, Craveworthy Brands announced that it had acquired Mongolian Concepts and its restaurant brands, including Genghis Grill. Majewski remained chief executive after the transaction, providing continuity in leadership. The chain is headquartered in Irving, Texas. Reference material reports that Genghis Grill ended 2024 with 22 locations, representing a 35.3 percent decline from its 2023 location count according to Nation's Restaurant News reporting based on Technomic Ignite data. The brand's listed locations include restaurants in New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia, and it has also operated at Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, Arizona. These figures indicate a primarily regional U.S. footprint rather than a broad international presence. Genghis Grill's positioning rests on personalization, open preparation, and a broad ingredient selection. Its core proposition is less about a single signature entrée than about allowing diners to create different meals from the same ingredient platform. The brand therefore competes with other build-your-own restaurants, Mongolian barbecue concepts, stir-fry restaurants, and casual dining venues offering interactive or customizable meals. Its present corporate identity is tied to Craveworthy Brands, which owns and operates a portfolio of restaurant concepts.

Genghis Grill was founded in 1998 by Jeff Sinelli after he acquired the goodwill of a defunct Dallas restaurant serving Mongolian barbecue-style food. Sinelli rebranded the concept as Genghis Grill and developed it around an interactive, customizable grill format. Customers could choose their own combination of ingredients and sauces before having the meal cooked on a large grill. This operating model distinguished the brand from conventional restaurants with fixed entrées and made customization the central part of the guest experience. In 2004, Al Bhakta and partners in the Chalak Group purchased the company from the original franchisor. The transaction placed the restaurant concept under new ownership and supported its further development as a U.S. chain. Genghis Grill remained focused on Mongolian barbecue-style stir-fry, with its menu and service model organized around customer-selected proteins, vegetables, sauces, and accompaniments. A broader corporate structure emerged in 2017 when Mongolian Concepts was formed. The organization brought together Genghis Grill with bd's Mongolian Grill and Flat Top Grill, two other brands associated with customizable grill dining. The shared platform connected restaurant concepts with similar cooking methods and customer experiences, while allowing each brand to retain its own identity. In 2021, Gregg Majewski, previously associated with Jimmy John's, was named chief executive of Mongolian Concepts. His appointment represented a leadership change at the parent-company level and preceded the eventual sale of the group. In 2023, Craveworthy Brands announced that it had acquired Mongolian Concepts, including Genghis Grill and the other brands in the portfolio. Majewski remained chief executive, providing management continuity after the acquisition. Genghis Grill is headquartered in Irving, Texas, and operates in the United States. The brand's listed markets include New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia, with a restaurant also identified at Tempe Marketplace in Tempe, Arizona. Nation's Restaurant News, using Technomic Ignite data, reported that the chain ended 2024 with 22 locations, down 35.3 percent from its 2023 total. The reported contraction suggests a smaller current footprint than during earlier phases of the brand's expansion. The brand's historical significance lies in its use of an interactive Mongolian-grill format within the American fast-casual and casual restaurant sectors. Rather than relying on one canonical dish, Genghis Grill offers a platform for assembling different meals from a common ingredient set. Its business identity consequently depends on menu variety, customization, visible cooking, restaurant throughput, and the economics of maintaining locations with a large grill and extensive ingredient presentation. Since the 2023 acquisition, Genghis Grill has operated within the Craveworthy Brands portfolio.

• 2024

  Reported 22-location footprint

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Nation's Restaurant News reported, citing Technomic Ignite data, that Genghis Grill ended the year with 22 locations.

• 2023

  Acquired by Craveworthy Brands

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Craveworthy Brands acquired Mongolian Concepts and its restaurant brands, including Genghis Grill.

• 2021

  Gregg Majewski appointed chief executive

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Gregg Majewski became chief executive of Mongolian Concepts.

• 2017

  Mongolian Concepts established

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Genghis Grill was brought together with bd's Mongolian Grill and Flat Top Grill under the Mongolian Concepts organization.

• 2004

  Chalak Group acquired the company

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Al Bhakta and partners in the Chalak Group purchased Genghis Grill from its original franchisor.

• 1998

  Genghis Grill founded

  [1]Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Jeff Sinelli acquired the goodwill of a defunct Dallas Mongolian barbecue restaurant and relaunched it under the Genghis Grill name.

Interactive fast-casual dining centered on customer customization, broad ingredient choice, and Mongolian barbecue-style grill cooking.

• Fast-casual restaurant entrée · 1998

  Build-your-own Mongolian grill meal

  The brand's core offering is a customizable stir-fry meal assembled by the customer. Diners select ingredients from available proteins, vegetables, sauces, seasonings, and accompanying starches such as rice or noodles. The chosen combination is then cooked on a large grill, making preparation part of the dining experience. The format allows guests to create different flavor combinations rather than choosing only from a fixed set of composed entrées.

• Restaurant service format · 1998

  Custom ingredient bar

  Genghis Grill's ingredient-selection system is a principal part of its product experience. Customers build a bowl or plate from a range of raw or prepared components before the restaurant's grill staff cooks the meal. The assortment is designed to support personalization across proteins, vegetables, sauces, and other mix-ins. This service format is the brand's main point of differentiation and supports repeat visits through varied combinations.

• 2023

  Sell Mongolian Concepts to Craveworthy BrandsM&A

  Background

  Mongolian Concepts owned or grouped Genghis Grill and related restaurant brands.

  Action taken

  Craveworthy Brands acquired Mongolian Concepts and its brands, including Genghis Grill.

  Aftermath

  Gregg Majewski remained chief executive after the acquisition, while Genghis Grill became part of the Craveworthy Brands portfolio.

  Source

• 2017

  Create a shared Mongolian-grill restaurant platformStrategy

  Background

  Genghis Grill operated in a restaurant category that overlapped with other build-your-own Mongolian-grill concepts.

  Action taken

  Mongolian Concepts was formed to bring Genghis Grill, bd's Mongolian Grill, and Flat Top Grill under one parent organization.

  Aftermath

  The three brands continued as distinct restaurant concepts within a shared corporate structure until the group was acquired by Craveworthy Brands in 2023.

  Source

1. 1Genghis Grillen.wikipedia.org