Boston market has closed 95% of its restaurants, report says

An unfortunate truth about the restaurant industry is that past success does not necessarily guarantee long-term success. For example: A chicken chain that was once very popular among diners and had a massive footprint has almost completely disappeared from the map.

Boston Market, known for its roast chickens and other home-cooked meals, has dwindled to 16 restaurants in the United States, Restaurant Business Magazine reported this week. This indicates that the chain has closed 95% of its locations since the end of 2022, according to the publication.

10 forgotten restaurant chains that made a big comeback in 2024

There was no contact information on the chain’s website (other than a phone number for a restaurant hotline) that could be used to ask Boston Market for confirmation of these reported closures and the current number of stores. However, the report that Boston Market is down to just 16 locations is far from the first indication that the chain is in trouble.

Boston Market was founded in 1985 and eventually grew to over 1,200 locations. However, accumulating debt, overzealous expansion, and competition from cheap grocery store rotisserie chickens led to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing for the Boston market in 1998, the Los Angeles Times reported.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

McDonald’s purchased Boston Market a few years after filing for Chapter 11, then sold it to private equity firm Sun Capital Partners in 2007. But the chain continued to struggle under its new owners and closed hundreds more stores before being sold again in 2007. 2020: This time for Engage Brands LLC, part of the Rohan group of companies owned by Jay Pandya.

4 Hamburger Chains on a Downward Spiral in 2024

The Boston market’s problems have only multiplied since then. It continued to close restaurants at a rapid pace, often due to unpaid rent or utility bills. He has also been sued more than 150 times for unpaid bills and wages, according to Restaurant Business Magazine. Additionally, Pandya has attempted to file for bankruptcy twice since late 2023, but both attempts were denied.

Despite its recent struggles in the United States, Boston Market appears to be expanding its presence overseas. A new restaurant ‘Boston Chicken India’ opened in Delhi in November, according to the restaurant’s Instagram page.

It describes itself as “India’s first flagship outlet of the popular American brand” and has a logo almost identical to the American Boston Market emblem. Pandya was pictured in one of the Instagram posts announcing the opening, although his level of involvement in the restaurant is unknown.

Zoe Strozewski