In lots of circumstances, a Chapter 11 chapter doesn’t imply the tip for a restaurant chain.
That is no less than partially as a result of model names have worth, and so long as the funds could be labored out with collectors, there’ll normally be extra traders prepared to get behind a Crimson Lobster comeback than those that would possibly try and launch a novel seafood chain.
A profitable Chapter 11 reorganization can streamline operations, cut back bills, and set up a extra sustainable monetary construction, giving the restaurant a second likelihood at success.
That is what occurred with Crimson Lobster.
“In 2024, Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, citing financial strain from rising labor costs, unfavorable lease agreements, and supply chain issues, including losses from an ‘all-you-can-eat’ shrimp promotion. The filing allowed the company to restructure its debt, renegotiate leases, close underperforming locations, and secure financial support, enabling continued operations and a path toward long-term recovery,” Toast reported.
Model names matter, whether or not the unique operator survives or a brand new one takes over.
“Think about how hard it is to build a brand in today’s world,” Greg Portell, lead companion within the international shopper observe of consulting agency Kearney, advised Retail Dive. “It’s actually troublesome. The identify itself tends to be the dear asset in an IP portfolio.”
That makes it surprising that Don Pablo’s, once the second-largest full-service Mexican chain in the United States behind Chi-Chi’s, remains a relic of the past with no open locations.
Don Pablo’s was a ’90s success story
“Throughout its heyday, it served 20 states with over 100 places, which made it the closest competitor to Chi-Chi’s. The primary Don Pablo’s location appeared in Texas within the mid-’80s, and as a consequence of its success, it began rising from there — a lot in order that seven years after its conception, it was already gaining traction with 10 shops,” Newsbreak reported.
Don Pablo’s was famous for its use of high-quality ingredients in its tacos, burritos, fajitas, salads, and more.
That was a stark contrast to Taco Bell, the brand most Americans associated with Mexican food at the time.
It was also an affordable sit-down option, likely at least partially because meat portions at Mexican restaurants are supplemented by much cheaper ingredients, including rice and beans.
“By 1995, Don Pablo’s had grown to 51 places throughout Texas, New Mexico, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, and Maryland. This quantity had almost doubled by 1998 when these searching for tasty Tex-Mex may select from 96 Don Pablo’s eating places,” according to The Takeout.
That number rose to 120 at the chain’s peak.
Don Pablo’s filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Don Pablo’s formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 2016, according to PacerMonitor.
“It’s reported that the explanation for the submitting is because of the elevated competitors from ‘quick informal’ Mexican manufacturers and a decreased curiosity in informal eating,” WRTV Indianapolis reported at the time.
Some of that competition came from the growing success of Chipotle.
“Fast‑casual restaurants have spent the past decade convincing diners they could deliver fresher food and a better experience than fast food, minus the wait or high price of a sit‑down meal, according to a Barron’s industry analysis on fast‑casual competition and consumer behavior.
Chipotle’s 2016 annual report states the company had 2,250 restaurants in operation as of December 31, 2016, including Chipotle, international, and other related units, according to the chain’s SEC filings.
Chipotle management has pushed pricing relative to traditional restaurants as an advantage.
“Administration underscored that core choices, such because the Rooster Bowl, are priced 20-30% under comparable fast-casual meals, making its worth proposition compelling regardless of shopper pullbacks,” Zacks shared on Nasdaq.com.
The competitors was not simply Chipotle as The Takeout additionally reviews that 1 in 10 U.S. eating places serve some variation of Mexican delicacies.
Not like many different manufacturers, nonetheless, Don Pablo’s didn’t survive Chapter 11 chapter, and in contrast to Chi-Chi’s, which is trying a comeback, as TheStreet’s Fernanda Tronco reported, no efforts have been made to revive the model.
Evaluation: Cheaper Mexican damage sit-down chains
As an avid fan of Mexican meals who not considers Taco Bell an choice, Chipotle’s rise definitely led me to go for takeout over sitting down in a conventional Mexican restaurant.
As I’ve gotten older, that pendulum has moved again a bit, as I am now more likely to need to sit down and be served a meal.
Don Pablo’s didn’t survive Chapter 11 chapter.
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Don Pablo’s truly filed for Chapter 11 chapter thrice
To be honest, Don Pablo’s proprietor, Avado Manufacturers, did survive a 2004 Chapter 11 chapter submitting and a later one in 2007.
“While Avado Brands managed to exit bankruptcy the following year with 96 Don Pablo’s restaurants still in operation, it was a short reprieve. The company filed for a second time in 2007, at which point it had between $1 million and $100 million in liabilities,” in line with The Takeout.
Extra Eating places
- Taco Bell and KFC work on simplifying their eating places
- Chick-fil-A making main change to 425 eating places nationwide
- Bankrupt beer and pizza restaurant chain closes places
- Restaurant chain famed for impolite waiters closes a number of places
It was this chapter submitting in 2017, below a brand new proprietor, Meals Administration Companions, that lastly put the chain down (seemingly) for good.
“After purchasing the company in 2014, it gradually chipped away at Don Pablo’s restaurant lineup. In the following years, restaurants started to disappear, and in 2017, the once-popular chain yet again filed for bankruptcy protection,” in line with the web site.
The ultimate Don Pablo’s location closed in 2019.
Restaurant chains which have survived a latest Chapter 11 chapter
- Crimson Lobster continued after Chapter 11: The seafood chain filed for chapter in 2024, closed underperforming eating places, reorganized, and continues working in 2025 below new possession and strategic plans, Yahoo reported.
- Hooters of America filed Chapter 11 however stays energetic: In March 2025, Hooters filed for Chapter 11 chapter with a plan to promote about 100 firm‑owned eating places to skilled franchisee teams together with the founders; remaining places proceed working, in line with Restaurant Dive.
- Planta survived chapter by way of acquisition: Upscale vegan chain Planta filed Chapter 11, and in 2025, its key places had been acquired by Anchorage Capital Group, permitting it to proceed in main cities, shared Houlihan Lokey.
- Bar Louie continued through restructuring and sale: The bar‑restaurant chain filed for Chapter 11, and thru debtor‑in‑possession financing and sale to new homeowners, preserved dozens of places and operations, reported Houlihan Lokey.
- On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina stays open throughout Chapter 11: After its early‑2025 chapter submitting, the model was bought by Pappas Restaurant Group, and a few places survived, in line with Restaurant Dive.
- Tijuana Flats filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety in April 2024, closed about 11 eating places as a part of restructuring, was acquired by Flatheads LLC, and efficiently exited chapter in January 2025 with plans to refresh its menu, enhance operations, and develop once more, in line with FastCasual.com.
A short Don Pablo’s Timeline
- 1985, based in Lubbock, Texas: Don Pablo’s opened its first Tex‑Mex restaurant in Lubbock, Texas, launching an informal eating model that may develop nationwide.
- Nineties, speedy enlargement to 120 places: At its peak within the late Nineties, the chain had about 120 eating places throughout the U.S., making it one of many bigger Mexican informal‑eating manufacturers.
- 2004 and 2007, early bankruptcies and contraction: The unique possession filed for chapter and downsized the variety of eating places. The model modified fingers and step by step shrank over the following a number of years as competitors elevated.
- 2014, acquired by Meals Administration Companions (FMP): After years of closures, the remaining 34‑unit chain was acquired by Meals Administration Companions, a restaurant operator seeking to flip across the model.
- 2016, main chapter submitting and closures: In 2016, Don Pablo’s mum or dad corporations filed for chapter safety, closing quite a few places.
- June 24, 2019, final U.S. location closes: The ultimate Don Pablo’s restaurant in Deptford Township, New Jersey, abruptly closed its doorways, ending the model’s operational historical past.
Supply: Mashed
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