Ruby Tuesday was founded by five students from the University of Tennessee.  They started the first location across from the Knoxville UT campus in 1972.  In 1982 they became a part of the Specialty Restaurant Division of Morrison, Inc. and due to the merger they had the money to expand.  In 1996 the company was split up and one division was called Ruby Tuesday Inc.  It is now one of the largest casual dining companies out there.  In the summer of 1998 the support center was moved to Maryville, Tennessee and an onsite training facility was created called WOW-U.  This center is used for daily training and features lodging as well.  There are currently over 900 restaurants worldwide and the company is publically traded on the NYSE.

Ruby Tuesday offers both lunch and dinner with a menu for both.  They are considered a casual dining grill with a bar on location as well.  They offer salads, steaks, chicken dishes, burgers, seafood, and more.  Most locations feature a salad bar and they also have a bar with beer, wine, and liquor.  Ruby Tuesday also serves Brunch on the weekends and they feature appetizers, beverages, and desserts on their menu as well.

The Ruby Tuesday franchise opportunity requires at least a net worth of $900,000 per location and $500,000 liquid assets.  They do provide training that is pretty extensive at the WOW-U.  This includes culinary training, management training, hospitality training, and more.  This is a very unique experience that has the franchisee and managers stay at the Ruby Tuesday Lodge and experience the true meaning of a quality guest experience.  They were voted the BEST in 2006 by the American Society for Training and Developing.  They also look for franchisees with a solid financial background, success in business, and a passion to grow the brand.