Smokey Bones BBQ abruptly shuts US restaurants – Business News
Smokey Bones is quietly going up in smoke.
The BBQ chain abruptly shut down its Colonie, NY location on April 28, half of a fast-moving wave of closures sweeping throughout the nation after its dad or mum company FAT Brands Inc. filed for chapter earlier this yr.
The Colonie shutdown got here with little warning as an worker advised News 10 that employees discovered of the closure the identical day — a sample repeated at a number of places nationwide as employees had been blindsided by last-minute notices.
Smokey Bones has quietly closed a number of places throughout the US after submitting for Chapter 11 chapter in January. WANE 15/Facebook
Restaurants in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Rhode Island had been additionally shuttered on the identical day. Employees in a number of states mentioned they had been knowledgeable the morning of the closures that operations had been ending instantly.
“We regret to announce that this location has permanently closed its doors as of Tuesday, April 28th,” learn a discover taped on the door of the department’s Warwick, RI location, in response to Go Local Prov.
The sudden sweep included the chain’s final remaining restaurant in Michigan and a number of outposts in Pennsylvania, signaling a deepening pullback for the once-expansive model.
Despite earlier assurances that business would proceed as typical during restructuring, Smokey Bones’ web site now lists all places as closed day-after-day of the week, raising contemporary questions concerning the chain’s future.
Both FAT Brands Inc. and its working arm, Twin Hospitality Group Inc., filed for Chapter 11 chapter on Jan. 26, a transfer supposed to restructure debt whereas conserving restaurants open, People reviews.
Employees got little warning, with the department’s Warwick, RI location merely taping this observe on its door. WANE 15/Facebook
The BBQ chain’s web site lists all places as closed day-after-day of the week, raising contemporary questions on its future. Universal Images Group by way of Getty Images
“Twin Hospitality plans to use the filings to deleverage the balance sheet, maximize value for its stakeholders, and support the continued growth of its brands,” the company mentioned in a assertion on the time.
“Throughout the Chapter 11 process, Twin Hospitality expects the brands will remain open and operating as usual and will continue delivering their signature guest experiences.”
But the most recent closures recommend a more turbulent actuality on the ground, with operations quickly contracting quite than stabilizing.
Smokey Bones began in 1999 in Orlando, FL and reached roughly 130 places at its peak. PRN
The company had already begun trimming its footprint months earlier.
In September 2025, it mentioned it shut down 15 “underperforming units” whereas trying to deal with stronger-performing places and streamline operations
Founded in 1999 by Darden Restaurants, Smokey Bones began as a BBQ sports activities bar in Orlando, FL earlier than increasing into a informal eating chain identified for hickory-smoked meats and fire-grilled dishes.
The restaurant grew quickly in its early years, reaching roughly 130 places at its peak earlier than years of cutbacks shrank its footprint.
By 2025, the model had already been diminished to 26 places, down from about 60 beforehand — and is now shrinking even quicker because the chain fights to remain afloat in chapter.
