Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass wants to buy the three-store Boogie's Diner division from Merry-Go-Round Enterprises Inc., the national apparel retailer that he founded and presided over until three weeks ago, sources said yesterday.
One of the more offbeat concepts ever served up by a retailer, Boogie's Diner sells burgers, fries, fur coats and snakeskin boots under the same roof.
"Eat heavy. Dress cool," is its motto, and the mustachioed, street-talking Mr. Weinglass is its apotheosis.
So it makes sense for Boogie and Boogie's Diner to reunite, fashion experts said.
"Merry-Go-Round doesn't really want it. Boogie knows this operation better than anyone," said Mark Millman, president of Millman Search Group Inc., a retail executive search firm based in Baltimore. "This way Boogie stays in the retail fashion industry."
Mr. Weinglass, 53, resigned as chairman of Joppa-based Merry-Go-Round last month. The company, in bankruptcy proceedings for more than a year, has struggled in its main business of operating 1,000 mall boutiques for teen-agers and young adults.
Recently, Mr. Weinglass approached Merry-Go-Round about buying Boogie's Diners in Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Chicago, sources said yesterday.
He already owns a Boogie's Diner in Aspen, Colo., near his home. That
store generates approximately $5 million in annual sales, Mr. Millman said.
Two other Boogie's Diners -- in New York and Washington's Georgetown section -- closed last year.
Mr. Weinglass could not be reached for comment. Merry-Go-Round would not confirm his interest.
A Merry-Go-Round spokesman said, "Because Boogie's name is part of the concept, we wouldn't want to do anything with that asset which he doesn't support and which doesn't provide for a secure future for those who work there."