A MAJOR franchisee of a popular restaurant chain has filed for bankruptcy placing more than 10 restaurants under threat.
Louisiana Apple, the franchisee of 14 Applebee restaurants in several states, has been hit with a lawsuit by its creditor after it failed to make repayments on a $7.1 million loan.
A major Applebee’s franchisee is facing bankruptcy placing 14 restaurants at risk[/caption]
The creditor, City National Bank, is seeking to have the restaurants transferred to other owners affiliated with Applebee’s and is suing the franchisee over about $8.3 million in debt.
The franchisee operated 14 restaurants in a number of states including Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Indiana.
The lawsuit has prompted Louisiana Apple to make a Chapter 11 filing.
ABOUT THE FILING
According to the case management summary, Louisiana Apple borrowed over $7 million from CNB in 2020.
The filing alleged that Louisiana Apple failed to make repayments on the loan from July 2023.
While it is unclear why Louisiana Apple struggled to pay off the loan, Restaurant Dive said Applebee’s same-store sales have decreased in year-on-year terms each quarter from early 2023.
Applebee’s domestic restaurant count fell from 1,554 at the end of Q2 2023 to 1,520 at the end of Q2 2024, according to Restaurant Dive.
Applebee’s at Bay Terrace Shopping Centre in Queens, New York closed down last year after the owner failed to pay $1.2 million in rent.
The landlord said it made concessions during the pandemic shutdown to Apple Metro, which is the New York Metropolitan Area franchisee of Applebee’s, but still didn’t get the rent it was owed.
In May this year, a separate Applebee’s shut down in Hudson, New York.
Earlier this year, an Applebee’s establishment in Antioch, California, also closed, bringing an end to more than 25 years of business.
The closures come as bosses at its parent company Dine Brands warned there would be a raft of shutdowns throughout the year.
The chain said it could suffer a net loss of restaurants ranging between 25 and 35.
Tony Moralejo, Applebee’s president, said closures were a last resort.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain’s affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 ‘underperforming’ locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee’s: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John’s: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco’s Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio’s Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster’s Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- México Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing “unforeseen circumstances”
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner’s family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny’s: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John’s: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney’s: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby’s: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
- Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
MORE CLOSURES
It is not the only restaurant chain that has endured closures.
Major chains have shut down restaurants across the country including TGI Fridays, MOD Pizza, Boston Market, Red Lobster, and Tijuana Flats.
Restaurant managers have blamed a raft of issues including financial pressures from inflation, changing consumer trends, cost-cutting and underperformance issues.
In February, bosses at Bloomin Brands revealed Outback Steakhouse locations across the country would close.
Execs revealed there would be 41 restaurant closures in total across its portfolio of chains.
Bloomin Brands also owns Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
Chiefs at the fast food joints In-N-Out and Denny’s have closed restaurants in Oakland, California.
