Boston Market: From 300 Locations to Just 27 in Two Years
Boston Market has seen its location count plummet from over 1,200 at its peak to fewer than 30 restaurants as of late 2024. The rotisserie chicken chain closed approximately 300 locations in 2023 alone, and about 16 by the end of 2024, before a modest rebound through franchising. According to Restaurant Business Magazine, the restaurant chain has shrunk from about 300 locations down to just 27 since the start of 2023, with evictions over unpaid leases being the impetus behind many of these shutterings.
The rapid pace of closures has been attributed to landlords evicting the chain over unpaid rent and utility bills, and state officials shutting down locations for tax issues. Industry experts suggest Boston Market may be in its final days as a national chain. Additionally, the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey fined Boston Market over unpaid wages, with the New Jersey Department of Labor temporarily shutting down 27 locations in August as a result. The U.S. Department of Labor is currently investigating the restaurant chain because of complaints over wage and hour violations.
The chain’s downfall represents one of the most dramatic collapses in recent restaurant history. In January, a U.S. District Judge ordered Boston Market to pay $15 million to US Foods, an American food service distributor, in a lawsuit surrounding unpaid bills. What was once a comfort food staple for millions of Americans has become a cautionary tale about financial mismanagement and the fragility of restaurant empires.
Taco Bueno: Heavy Rains and Crushing Debt Sealed Its Fate
Taco Bueno, a Tex-Mex restaurant, opened its doors in 1967 in Abilene, Texas, offering a menu brimming with tacos, burritos, nachos, and its signature creation, the Muchaco, a meat and refried bean delicacy tucked into pita bread. As a regional powerhouse, it spread its influence across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and beyond, with 178 locations reported in 2016. By 2018, some of those locations were on the chopping block…