Italian Eateries in Bankruptcy Again

Bravo Brio Restaurants LLC (Orlando, Fla.), operator of the Bravo! Italian Kitchen and Brio Italian Grille chains, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed seven of their 48 locales. That’s according to a variety of news sources, including USA Today.

The marks the restaurant chains’ second bankruptcy since 2020.

The company, which is owned by Earl Enterprises, consisted of 25 Brio Italian Grille restaurants and 23 Bravo Italian Kitchen restaurants before closing seven of those locales. Earl Enterprises, which also owns Planet Hollywood, Bertucci’s and other restaurants, acquired the two chains in June 2020 from FoodFirst Global Restaurants, which had filed for bankruptcy two months earlier.

Its most recent filing for protection from its creditors came Aug. 18 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, USA Today reported. In court documents, the company cited the impact of “the acute financial distress” across the restaurant industry on its operations.

By filing for bankruptcy, Bravo Brio Restaurants seeks “to improve its financial position as it brings on a new investor,” the company said. “The Chapter 11 process will allow the company to quickly and efficiently reorganize its business for a sustainable and successful future, including closing underperforming locations, restructuring debt, and streamlining and reducing operational expenses.”

Other recent bankruptcy filings in the sector include Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, TGI Fridays and Hooters, USA Today noted in its coverage of the news.