Boston Market has been going through a rough patch for quite some time. The fast-casual chicken chain has been struggling to get back its momentum ever since the pandemic broke. Leadership changes and repeated bankruptcy filings also failed to revive the food chain giant.
Regardless of the setbacks, Boston Market has announced its plans to get back into the restaurant scene with the opening of an outlet in Buffalo, New York.
Highlights
- After reaching a low of 27 outlets in March 2024, Boston Market is planning to come back with a new location in Buffalo.
- The fast-casual chain has also opened another store in Western New York.
- This development has come against the backdrop of the fast-food brand being banned from bankruptcy filing for six months in 2024.
Boston Market Attempts a Comeback in Buffalo
The fast-casual chicken chain, which was once partly owned by McDonald’s, has been mostly out of operation. Boston Market’s downward spiral finds its roots in the pandemic when it closed its stores across the US.
To improve things, the fast-casual food chain opted for a leadership change, with Jignesh “Jay” Pandya taking charge in 2020. Pandya then promoted the idea of mixing American tradition with Indian hospitality.
Amid its diminishing store numbers, Boston Market has been serving American audiences rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. But not much changed, and their stores kept shutting down.
The Colorado-based fast-food chain had just 27 outlets in March 2024. It is now aiming to turn things around with a comeback in Buffalo. However, Boston Market has not revealed many details about the location and timeline of its newest store.
The Fast-Food Chain’s Struggles with the Pandemic and Bankruptcy Filing
After acquiring the fast-casual chicken chain during the pandemic, Pandya was blamed for non-payment of bills. Due to unpaid rents and utility bills, most outlets of the fast-food brand were forced to shut down. By the end of 2022, almost 95% of Boston Market’s locations had closed for good.
The Colorado-based fast-food brand was also blamed by its workers and former employees for non-payment of salaries and medical bills, as well as unpaid insurance premiums.
However, a bigger problem emerged for Boston Market when US Foods, its prime supplier, sued the chicken chain for $11 million. In addition to this, the fast-casual food brand faced 140+ lawsuits in different federal and state courts.
To deal with the mounting financial challenges, Pandya filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice. However, the courts rejected both filings. Additionally, in March 2024, the court banned the Boston Market owner from attempting to file again for another six months.
Nationwide Expansion Plans for Boston Market
The chicken chain is planning to go beyond Buffalo and open outlets across the US. One of them has already opened for the Western New York crowd at 4185 Maple Road. This Amherst-based outlet is one of the ten planned new openings for Boston Market in Western New York.
The fast-food chain’s owner is hopeful about announcing more store openings in the next 45 days. Pandya claimed that none of these outlets would be liable for settling outstanding debt payments. Instead, they would pay him a fee in exchange for the branding and maybe some recipes.
Despite financial roadblocks driven by the pandemic, leadership changes, record closures, and bankruptcy failures, Boston Market has demonstrated determination to bounce back. Its latest plan to open a new outlet in Buffalo and further expansions across the US hint at its attempt to rebuild its reputation.
