BJ's Restaurants
The story of how BJ's Restaurants (BJRI) went from a penny stock to a company with a market capitalization more than $1 billion is one of perseverance and time. The company operates 117 casual dining establishments under the BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, BJ's Pizza & Grill and BJ's Grill brand names. The business has steadily grown over the years, and the stock price has climbed and climbed.
Back in 1997, however, BJRI was a little-followed stock that traded for less than $2. In fact, on April 30, 1997, the stock closed at just $1. Today, BJ's is trading near $38. Investors who took a flier at $1 and held on have been richly rewarded, as the price has gone up around 3,700% during that time.
