Boston Market fast-food chain on the brink as owner files for bankruptcy protection, stores are evicted and employees and vendors are left unpaid
- Boston Market's headquarters seized and has more than $329,000 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes
- Owner Jignesh Pandya has personally filed for bankruptcy protection, putting the company's future in doubt, according to The News Tribune.
- Boston Market, which started in Newton, Massachusetts, once had more than 1,200 restaurant locations, but this has now dropped significantly to 300
A popular fast-food chain could be on the brink of collapse because its owner has personally filed for bankruptcy protection.
At Boston Market, more than $329,000 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes have been seized from its headquarters, stores have been evicted and employees and vendors have gone unpaid.
Owner Jignesh Pandya has personally filed for bankruptcy protection, which he says puts the company's future in doubt The News Tribune.
While his potential personal bankruptcy doesn't spell the end for the fast-food chain, it has had a rough six months.
Boston Market, which started in Newton, Massachusetts, once had more than 1,200 restaurant locations, but this has now dropped significantly to 300.
Popular fast-food chain Boston Market could be on the brink of collapse as its owner has personally filed for bankruptcy protection
More than $329,000 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes have been seized from the corporate headquarters, stores have been evicted, and employees and vendors have gone unpaid
The company's owner, Jignesh Pandya, has personally filed for bankruptcy protection, putting the company's future in doubt, according to The News Tribune.
Fast food giant McDonald's previously owned Boston Market for seven years until it sold it to a private equity firm in 2007.
Boston Market grew rapidly due to a successful period of business, but suffered a steep decline.
The number of stores has fallen by more than three quarters and continues to decline every day.
The company's immediate future has been thrown into doubt after Pandya personally filed for bankruptcy protection.
Stores in Boston Market have been shut down and employees and vendors have not been paid.
The headquarters was seized by the Colorado Department of Revenue in May due to $329,00 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes.
Businesses that don't have a central authority often decline quickly and this is reflected in Boston Market as stores close at a rapid pace.
All restaurants in Connecticut and South Florida have closed in recent weeks.
Most closures are the result of formal evictions due to unpaid rent.
Boston Market is also facing a lawsuit from one of its major suppliers, US Foods, over claims it is owed about $11 million.
According to Restaurant Business Online, the company is also the subject of a federal investigation into unpaid wages of suppliers and employees.
Boston Market, which started in Newton, Massachusetts, once had more than 1,200 restaurant locations, but this has now dropped significantly to 300
It has been sued more than 140 times in various state and federal courts since current ownership took over in 2020.
The brand has some value and a new owner, or a company it owes money to, might try to preserve it.
However, a fast food chain that doesn't pay its rent or vendors won't be able to stay in business for long, and the remaining Boston Market restaurants may also be at risk of closing.
The bankruptcy court could allow employees to be paid and deals to be made with suppliers, but the high volume of lawsuits means that is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Boston Market is still sharing job openings on its LinkedIn page.
DailyMail.com has contacted the company for comment.