The restaurant industry is as unpredictable as ever. While some chains are struggling to keep up with their competitors, others are still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic.
On June 14, Melt Bar & Grilled, a Cleveland, Ohio-based restaurant chain known for its gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the filing, the company has been struggling to pay its landlords, vendors, and service providers.
Just a few years after declaring bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rubio's officially announced its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on June 5.
About a week after making headlines for abruptly closing dozens of locations, Red Lobster announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In April, Tijuana Flats, the Florida-based Tex-Mex restaurant chain, shared several restructuring plans, one of which was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
At the end of April, Boxer, a small Portland, Ore.-based Ramen chain, announced via Instagram that it will be closing all four of its restaurants on May 29 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with its sister chain SuperDeluxe in February.
After struggling with pandemic-related issues and various legal troubles, New York-based Sticky's Finger Joint filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of April.
At the end of January, RRG, a 17-unit Popeyes franchisee filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and attributed this to three underperforming restaurants.
The franchisee owes rent to at least 11 entities, with one landlord owed as much as $238,595.13 according to Restaurant Dive. This is the second Popeyes operator to file for bankruptcy since last March.