the business was bought by quality dining (a franchisee) in june 1996 for $142 million in stock, with the founders joining the quality dining board. the merge was not a comfortable one; within a short period brue and dressell became concerned with the ongoing operations and scope for growth, leading to a critical u.s. securities and exchange commission (sec) filing alleging a lack of strategic direction. holding a combined 26% stake, brue and dressell called for reorganization of quality dining, resulting in bruegger's being resold to brue and dressel in october 1997 for $45 million. brue has since referred to the original sale as part of his "biggest mistake".