Smokey Bones BBQ abruptly shuts US restaurants after filing for bankruptcy
New York Post • • business
Key Points:
- Smokey Bones abruptly closed its Colonie, NY location on April 28, part of a nationwide wave of sudden shutdowns following its parent company FAT Brands Inc.'s bankruptcy filing earlier this year.
- Employees at multiple locations, including in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Rhode Island, were given last-minute notice of immediate closures, highlighting a rapid contraction of the chain.
- Despite initial bankruptcy filings in January 2024 aiming to restructure debt while keeping restaurants open, the chain's website now shows all locations as closed daily, casting doubt on its future viability.
- The brand, founded in 1999 and once boasting around 130 locations, had already been shrinking prior to bankruptcy, with only 26 locations remaining by 2025 before the recent accelerated closures.
- FAT Brands and Twin Hospitality Group initially planned to use Chapter 11 to stabilize and grow the brands, but the ongoing closures indicate a more turbulent and declining operational reality.
