The wave of restaurant closures sweeping the United States in 2026 has claimed two more victims. A beloved pizza chain that had operated for 50 years and a pair of upscale Louisville dining concepts have both filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in recent weeks, the latest casualties in an industry that has been struggling to adapt to dramatically changed consumer behavior since the pandemic.
Gina Maria’s Pizza: 50 years ends in Chapter 7
Gina Maria’s Pizza, a Twin Cities institution founded in 1975, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after abruptly shuttering all four of its locations in October 2025. The closures, which affected restaurants in Chanhassen, Eden Prairie, Edina and Plymouth, came with virtually no advance warning. The chain simply posted a notice on its website that it had officially closed its doors, and all of its phone numbers were redirected to automated messages confirming the permanent closures.
The corporate entity behind the chain, Northern Brands Inc., filed for Chapter 7 liquidation on March 26 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Minnesota, assigned Case No. 26-41005. Court filings list nearly $2.9 million in liabilities against approximately $64,000 in assets, a gap that makes any recovery for creditors highly unlikely. A Chapter 7 filing indicates a business intends to liquidate rather than restructure and emerge, meaning Gina Maria’s Pizza has no plans to reopen in any form. Phil Godinez is listed as CEO in the filing, and Porfioro Godinez is named as the company’s authorized representative.
La Chasse and The Champagnery: upscale dining collapses in Louisville
On the higher end of the price spectrum, Louisville restaurateur Isaac Fox’s company Foxdulaney LLC filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 29 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Kentucky, assigned Case No. 3:26-bk-30841. The filing covers two concepts Fox operated: La Chasse, a European-inspired restaurant, and The Champagnery, a champagne bar. Both had already ceased operations before the bankruptcy filing was submitted. Court documents list between $100,001 and $500,000 in liabilities, with unsecured creditors unlikely to recover any funds.
Fox launched a personal GoFundMe campaign following the closures, describing a year and a half of severe financial and business difficulties that left him without income and facing the prospect of multiple bankruptcies. That campaign sought $27,000 and has since surpassed $33,000 raised from more than 100 donors. A separate GoFundMe campaign organized to support La Chasse’s former staff has fared far worse, raising less than $1,000 of a $30,000 goal.
What is driving restaurants out of business
Both closures fit a broader national pattern that has been accelerating through 2025 and into 2026. Restaurant prices rose approximately 6 percent between January 2024 and September 2025, driven by higher labor, rent and ingredient costs, while grocery prices rose only around 3 percent over the same period. That widening gap has fundamentally shifted how American consumers think about the value of eating out, and the change has been felt across every price point…