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CHICKEN lovers everywhere are likely in mourning in the face of the most recent wave of fast food closures.
EYM Chicken, a subsidiary of EYM Group, has closed approximately 25 KFC restaurants in the Midwest and more are coming, as confirmed by various media outlets.
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The closures, first reported by Peoria, Illinois-based television station WMBD, have left many communities with shuttered KFC locations, sparking concerns about the future of the franchisee’s operations.
“We can confirm that some KFC locations in the area have closed,” they wrote.
“The decision to close a restaurant is always difficult for both the franchisee and the brand.
“We appreciate the patronage of our loyal guests.”
They were further corroborated by photographs from local media, while Nation’s Restaurant News reported that “about 25” locations were affected.
EYM Chicken, which owned 47 KFC stores at the end of 2023 according to KFC’s franchise disclosure document filed in March, has seen a majority of its units impacted by these recent closures, per Restaurant Dive.
ALL THE CHANGES
Upon hearing the news of the shutdowns, Facebook users were not all that surprised.
“Their chicken went downhill years ago. That’s just it, they stopped selling as much, it slid into neglect,” one person wrote.
“Best chicken in the world just got to where I couldn’t afford it anymore,” commented another.
“All of them overpriced themselves! Employees usually were not friendly so this made a perfect recipe for being closed up,” added a third.
A fourth even said that KFC has “gone downhill in product quality.”
SNOWBALL EFFECT
This development is the latest in a series of challenges faced by EYM Group, the parent company of EYM Chicken.
In recent years, EYM Group has been involved in legal disputes with Yum Brands, KFC’s parent company, particularly over the performance of its Pizza Hut locations, Restaurant Dive reported.
EYM has accused Yum Brands of lagging behind its competitors in terms of technology and operational practices.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain’s affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 ‘underperforming’ locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili’s: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly’s: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl’s Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee’s: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John’s: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco’s Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio’s Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster’s Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- México Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty’s Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing “unforeseen circumstances”
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner’s family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny’s: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John’s: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney’s: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby’s: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
This has reportedly contributed to the declining performance of its Pizza Hut units.
The situation escalated to the point where EYM’s pizza division filed for bankruptcy following the closure of several Midwest locations.
EYM Group’s difficulties are not limited to its KFC and Pizza Hut franchises.
Last year, EYM King, the company’s Burger King subsidiary, closed dozens of units and is currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Armada Oil and Gas.
The lawsuit alleges that EYM King failed to pay rent and violated lease agreements, further compounding the company’s financial troubles, the outlet reported.
This string of closings is not the only one that has occurred recently.
A popular burger chain is on the brink of bankruptcy following a wave of mass closures, with fans pointing the finger at its pricey menu as the primary culprit.
Plus, a beloved pizza chain has shut down its last location in one city.
