A POPULAR restaurant chain has abruptly closed all its locations as reports emerged that the company has filed for bankruptcy.
Chiefs at Fatz Café dramatically shut down more than a dozen restaurants across several states.
Notes have been put on the doors of the establishments informing customers that they have permanently closed, as reported by the Greeneville Sun.
A manager of the Greeneville, Tennessee restaurant told the outlet that bosses have filed for bankruptcy.
Fatz Café restaurants in Kingsville, Tennessee – around 100 miles from Knoxville – and Lexington, South Carolina, have also closed down.
One note said: "We are sorry to announce that after proudly serving this and many other communities for years, Fatz Cafe will be closed permanently.
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“All existing locations closed effective 8/23/2023. We thank you for your support throughout our years in business.”
The chain’s restaurant in Shelby, North Carolina, has also closed after more than 30 years of business, per The Shelby Star.
Its restaurant in Orangeburg, South Carolina, has closed after more than 25 years of business.
The eatery was refurbished in 2012, as reported by The Times and Democrat.
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Fatz Café didn’t reveal any news about potential closures on its website or social media pages.
The restaurant chain, an Applebee’s rival, had 18 eateries in total across North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Fatz Café was founded in 1988 and it was known for its signature calabash chicken.
More than 1,000 employees worked for the company, according to its LinkedIn profile.
But it’s not the only chain that has closed restaurants.
The U.S. Sun reported how an O’Charley’s restaurant in Pearl, Mississippi – a suburb of Jackson, closed on August 20.
An O’Charley’s restaurant in Dayton Ohio, and another in Kingsport, Tennessee have also closed down.
The chain has seen at least 20 restaurant closures since 2016, according to the food outlet Mashed.
And, Tony Moralejo, the president of Applebee’s, has warned that the chain could close dozens of restaurants this year.
In a company earning’s call, he feared up to 35 establishments could shut up shop.
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He attributed the closures to changing customer behaviors post-Covid and said some of the franchisees were struggling to renew their leases on the premises.
Applebee’s restaurants in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Queens, New York; Tallahassee, Florida, and Shawnee Kansas have closed in recent months.
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