Company partners with restaurant operators

For most of Texas Roadhouse Inc.'s 483 restaurants, the Louisville, Kentucky-based chain owns them entirely or has a majority share.

Those restaurants are operated by managing partners, market partners or regional market partners.

Managing partners operate one restaurant each, while market partners and regional market partners operate multiple restaurants.

Managing partners are required to make a deposit of $25,000 to open a Texas Roadhouse restaurant, and market partners deposit $50,000, according to filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The deposits usually are refunded after five years of service. Partners also receive a base salary and a percentage of their restaurants' pretax profits.

Texas Roadhouse has 82 franchises, in which the company holds interests of 10% or less, according to SEC filings.

Those restaurants are run by franchisees who typically have paid $40,000 for each new location. Texas Roadhouse receives royalties from each franchise's gross sales and franchise renewal fees of up to $15,000.