<div id="readability-page-1"><div><div><p>Back in the 1980s, rotisserie chicken may have existed, but it was not a staple in the way it has become today.</p><p>Costco, for example, which has become well-known for selling an entire rotisserie chicken for $4.99, did not actually start selling the popular item until 1994.</p><p>&#34;The famous $4.99 chicken made its official Costco debut in 1994. Aside from a brief dollar increase in 2008 during the Great Recession, Costco has remained committed to keeping the chicken’s price steady despite ongoing inflation,&#34; according to Eat This, Not That.</p><p>The warehouse club actually loses money selling its popular chicken. But Rose Sioson, founder of Deliciously Rushed and an avid Costco shopper, thinks Costco more than makes up for it just by getting customers through the door for that value chicken.</p><p>“Costco may technically lose money on each rotisserie chicken they sell, but trust me —they’re not losing when it comes to what I buy next,” Sioson told. “That chicken usually ends up in a cart with salad kits, ready-made mashed potatoes, a bottle of wine, maybe a dessert, and some random item I had zero intention of buying. It’s classic Costco strategy.”</p><p>When a major retailer sells your core product as a loss leader, that's never great for business, but that's only one reason why Boston Market has been pushed to the edge of being fully out of existence.</p><h2>Boston Market has closed nearly 1,200 stores</h2><p>When I was a child growing up outside of Boston in the 1980s, my aunt used to visit, and she often brought a chicken from what was then known as Boston Chicken. At the time, the company was a small local chain that was actually founded in a Boston suburb.</p><p>This was the first time I had been exposed to rotisserie chicken, and the concept quickly took off. McDonald's was even an investor for a brief period.</p><h3>Boston Market grew fast and fell apart faster</h3><ul><li>Peak footprint: Boston Market once had  over 1,200 U.S. restaurants at its national height in the 1990s. The drop from 1,200 to 300 took place from the late '90s to 2023.</li><li>2023-2024 decline: The chain shrank precipitously from 300 locations at the start of 2023 to fewer than 30 by early 2024, according to Restaurant Business Online.</li><li>Early 2025 footprint: Estimates indicate fewer than 20 locations remain open nationally in early 2025, with many stores disappearing without notice, a stark collapse from its former scale, added Flavor365.</li><li>Fluid numbers: Official company listings on websites and apps significantly overstate open stores; many listed units are confirmed closed, reported Restaurant Business Online.</li></ul><p>Technically, the chain still exists, but its owner has tried to file for bankruptcy twice.</p><p>&#34;Boston Market owner Jay Pandya — who faces hundreds of lawsuits from vendors, franchisors, and employees regarding unpaid bills — filed for personal bankruptcy on Dec. 8, 2023, with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Bankruptcy Court. Pandya cited $10-$50 million in liabilities and the same range for assets in his bankruptcy paperwork,&#34; Nation's Restaurant News reported.</p><p>That filing, and a subsequent one, were rejected by the courts.</p><p>The company’s headquarters in Denver were seized by local authorities in 2023 for $300,000 in unpaid taxes, and multiple vendors have filed lawsuits against Boston Market for unpaid bills. In addition, many locations have been forced to close, or employees were stocking their stores with food bought at the supermarket, because vendor contracts had run out or been canceled, according to NRN.</p><p>The chain also faces a court judgment to pay its key supplier, U.S. Foods, for $15 million, according to PacerMonitor.</p><p>Multiple locations were affected by the US Foods lawsuit, highlighting how unpaid supplier bills contributed to store closures, reported Restaurant Business Online.</p><figure><div><div><p><span><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1E.LrPBRQFcYdA8RrStxyg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/thestreet_881/171a483934d83ad424d42493a403da76?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="960" height="540" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/1E.LrPBRQFcYdA8RrStxyg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--/https://media.zenfs.com/en/thestreet_881/171a483934d83ad424d42493a403da76"/></span></p></div></div><p></p><figcaption><em>Only a handful of Boston Market locations are still open.</em>Shutterstock</figcaption><p></p></figure><h3>Boston Market bankruptcy in brief</h3><ul><li>Chapter 11 attempts: Boston Market’s owner (Jay Pandya) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on behalf of the company twice, but courts rejected both filings due to procedural and documentation issues, according to RetailWire.</li><li>Boston Market’s owner Jay Pandya filed for personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 8, 2023, listing $10–50 million in liabilities and assets. (Source:Nation's Restaurant News) That filing was terminated early due to procedural deficiencies, added Restaurant Business Online.</li><li>Unpaid obligations: The brand faces legal actions over unpaid rent, supplier debts (e.g., US Foods claims), and back wages, which forced closures, according to Flavor365.</li><li>Evictions &amp; shutdowns: Multiple locations were evicted or ordered closed by authorities due to unpaid obligations.</li><li>Brand still exists, but on life support: A handful of Boston Market restaurants are still technically open, but the chain’s footprint is tiny compared with its former scale, reports Flavor365.</li><li>New openings amid collapse: Despite closures, the company opened at least one new location post‑bankruptcy filings, indicating attempts at a turnaround, shared RetailWire.</li></ul><h2>Boston Market still wants new franchisees</h2><p>In 2024, Pandaya released a new franchise plan to bring Boston Market to non-traditional locations. He's licensing the brand because it's not legally set up to offer traditional franchises.</p><p>“The Boston Market name stands for itself and it is well known throughout the country,” Pandya said in a statement to Nation’s Restaurant News at the time. “Now, with everyone’s support we will be able to provide our famous rotisserie chicken and delicious, homemade sides and family meals to everyone. We encourage anyone with a location and a desire to add Boston Market virtually to reach out and partner with us.”</p><p><strong>More Restaurants </strong></p><ul><li>Taco Bell and KFC work on simplifying their restaurants</li><li>Chick-fil-A making major change to 425 restaurants nationwide</li><li>Bankrupt beer and pizza restaurant chain closes locations</li><li>Restaurant chain famed for rude waiters closes multiple locations</li></ul><p>Many were skeptical of the plan.</p><p>“At this point, it’s just a way for him to scam someone,” Gina Busby, former area director of operations for Boston Market, told RetailWire. “He owes millions to employees in unpaid wages, me included. He didn’t report wages earned so people can’t get unemployment. He fraudulently [reported] supervisors as 1099 employees. He hasn’t paid expenses owed. More lawsuits and class actions are coming his way.”</p><h2>Boston Market caused its own near demise</h2><p>Restaurant analyst Aaron Allen told FCNews that the chain caused its own decline.</p><p>&#34;After distinguishing itself in the 1990s as a cut above fast food, it attempted to compete with those brands by holding its costs down — a move that ultimately led to a reduction in quality, which only undercut it further,&#34; he shared.</p><p>“If you chase a lower price- point consumer, you can price yourself out of business,” Allen said.</p><p>Grocery stores, too, ate Boston Market’s lunch as they began adding rotisserie chickens to their expanding prepared-meal aisles.</p><p>&#34;Essentially, Boston Market became a victim of its own success. After helping to popularize the roasted, whole chickens — in some cases, introducing the concept to consumers — the chain eventually saw the likes of Costco serve up the same things for far cheaper,&#34; wrote Steve Feldman, a retail and restaurant expert.</p><p>A former employee, Josh Taylor, posted about the brand's decline on Linkedin.</p><p>&#34;Over-saturation, competition and food expense killed Boston Market. Perhaps you could argue food expense was due to the expanded menu, but people loved all the items on the menu,&#34; he wrote.</p><p>Jorge Franchi, president of business research firm Franchi Business Enterprises, shared his thoughts on the chain's decline.</p><p>&#34;The kitchen grew complex, quality dropped, and service slowed. Customers became confused about what Boston Market really stood for. A push into sandwiches put them in direct competition with McDonald’s and Subway on price. Running two businesses under one roof blurred the brand’s identity and stripped away its advantage,&#34; he shared.</p><p><strong>Related: Walmart adds exclusive new Coca-Cola product</strong></p><p><i>This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jan 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.</i></p></div></div></div>

<p>Boston Market, once a popular rotisserie chicken chain, has closed nearly 1,200 locations, shrinking from 300 in early 2023 to fewer than 30 by early 2024. The company has faced bankruptcy filings, unpaid bills, and lawsuits, leading to significant store closures. Owner Jay Pandya filed for personal bankruptcy in December 2023, citing liabilities of $10-$50 million. Despite attempts to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the courts rejected the filings due to procedural issues. Currently, only a handful of locations remain operational, with the brand struggling to survive.</p>

Fast-food chicken chain closes most locations after bankruptcy