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The global restaurant brand Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. began in 1996 as a licensing partnership between Forrest Gump film makers Paramount Pictures and restaurant business Rusty Pelican following the box office hit in 1994. With decor inspired by the central character Gump's mythical Alabama home, and incorporating a bit of his crustacean-obsessed friend's shrimp boat, The Jenny, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. appears to be an astute piece of marketing by the restaurant chain.
While there is no actual restaurant in the film, the main character, Forrest Gump, ran a shrimp boat business called Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and wore an iconic hat representing the operation. This served as the launching point for the restaurant brand.
Paramount Pictures sought a joint venture opportunity with Rusty Pelican, which at that time was looking to develop a concept for a mid-market seafood restaurant. The attraction of taking on the name of Bubba Gump provided the instant brand identification with the hugely successful film Forrest Gump.
"We knew the name...