Fast-casual chain shutters stores, cuts staff

The chain announced this week it will close multiple company-owned and franchised restaurants across urban and suburban markets and lay off primarily hourly front-of-house and kitchen employees.

The company provided limited detail on the total number of layoffs and the exact list of closures. Employees at affected restaurants received notices about upcoming shutdowns and have been told to await regional guidance on final schedules and benefits.

Company leaders attributed the pullback to higher operating expenses, including increased labor and food costs and pressure from rent and utilities, along with softer-than-expected customer traffic at certain locations. Leadership indicated the brand will prioritize resources for higher-performing restaurants and adjust its network to improve unit-level economics.

Franchisees and local managers must now wind down operations at shuttered sites, handling outstanding orders, vendor contracts and lease terminations. Some franchise operators are evaluating rebranding or relocating stores nearby, while others are assessing staffing at remaining locations to absorb displaced workers.

Industry analysts note that fast-casual chains expanded rapidly over the past decade and that many operators have recently reduced expansion plans and shifted toward cost controls as inflationary pressure and labor shortages tightened margins. The chain’s closures follow a broader pattern of portfolio pruning by restaurants concentrating investment in top-performing units.

Customers who used the closing locations will need alternatives while the company winds down service at those addresses. Suppliers and delivery partners that serviced the stores are likely to feel the impact, and some local leaders have raised concerns about job losses and reduced foot traffic near affected sites.

Founded as a fast-casual concept emphasizing fresh ingredients and counter service, the brand grew by combining company-owned outlets with franchised units. After a period of rapid expansion, executives adopted a more conservative growth strategy last year focused on profitability rather than unit count. The company did not provide a timeline for when each affected restaurant will close or confirm whether severance packages or job-placement assistance will be available to all displaced employees; communications indicated management will work with impacted staff, with specifics left to regional leaders and franchise owners.