Popular breakfast restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Another popular breakfast restaurant chain has been hit with financial troubles, and is now filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Taste of Belgium made the move to reorganize its business while remaining in operation despite risking foreclosure proceedings on two of the chain’s locations.At one time, the restaurant chain had 11 locations in Ohio and Kentucky, but that number shrank due to shuttering eight of its locations over the course of two years, according to the Journal-News.As a result, the chain currently has three locations open for business, which are all in Cincinnati: One location at Rookwood at 3825 Edwards Road, another at the Banks at 16 West Freedom Way, and the last at Findlay Market, 1801 Race Street.The chain has even turned to Instagram to inform the public that they’re still operating.“We’re open,” Taste of Belgium said in an Instagram post. “Taste of Belgium has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection so we can keep moving forward.“From a guest standpoint, nothing changes. We’re serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch,” the post added.The Cincinnati-based chain was founded in 2007 by Jean-Francios Fletchet. Taste of Belgium expanded throughout the years before the closings kicked off in 2024 and 2025, per the Journal-News report.The shuttered locations were Crestview Hills, Kentucky, closed in Sept. 2024; 12071 Mason Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, which also closed in Sept. 2024; Clifton Heights, Ohio, closed May 2024; Liberty Township, Ohio, closed May 2024; 7800 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, which also closed May 2024; 10267 Penny Lane, Miamisburg, Ohio, closed December 2024; 10 Greene Blvd., Beevercreek, Ohio, closed January 2025 and Over-the-Rhine Location, 1135 Vine St., Cincinnati, closed September 2025.From Fletchet’s point of view, the bankruptcy filing – which was submitted on Jan. 6 on behalf of its Taste of Belgium at the Banks and Taste of Belgium Rookwood locations – is “a proactive step to stabilize the business and ensure long-term sustainability” he said in a statement.“This is not about closing restaurants. It is about keeping them open,” Flechet shared. “Filing for Chapter 11 gives us the protection we need to adapt, stay in business and continue serving our guests. From a customer standpoint, nothing changes. Our doors are open, and our team is here.”But when it comes to why the debtor decided on filing for bankruptcy, it was due to changes in consumer dining habits in addition to Covid-19, rising costs because of inflation, a decline in foot traffic in the downtown area, and inflated commissions charged by third-party delivery services, according to WKRC-TV.From how it seems, Taste of Belgium will most likely file for joint administration of the two petitions and merge them into one case.Read the original article on pennlive.com.