The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Restaurant an Market is a chain of seafood restaurants inspired by the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Launched in 1996 by Viacom Consumer Products (part of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, the distributor of Forrest Gump) and the Rusty Pelican Company, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. became the first theme restaurant inspired by a film. As of 2007, it had 28 locations in United States, Mexico, and eastern countries of Asia. The first one opened up in Monterey, CA. The restaurant is named after the movie's main characters Benjamin Bufford "Bubba" Blue and Forrest Gump, who was inspired to go into the shrimping business by Bubba.