Quarterdeck® was founded by Paul Flanigan. Paul is the nephew of the late Joseph Flanigan‚ the South Florida founder of the locally popular Flanigan’s and Big Daddy’s concepts‚ which debuted in Fort Lauderdale in 1958. Quarterdeck® was launched in 1995 when Paul Flanigan chose not to renew his then–10–year–old Flanigan’s franchise. Breaking from the neighborhood–tavern prototype‚ Paul created a 6‚000–square–foot Florida casual concept dressed with sliding windows and large‚ covered patios.