KFC has now begun to close restaurants in the Midwest, at least two dozen according to local media reports.
EYM Chicken, has shut down a total of 25 KFC locations in the Midwest.
The closures were first reported by WMBD, a television station in Peoria, Illinois, with other local outlets confirming the reports through photographs of the closed restaurants.
Nation’s Restaurant News noted that roughly 25 KFC locations were affected.
In a separate report, Restaurant Dive verified that the locations were not processing online orders and that calls to several of the reportedly closed stores went unanswered.
When KFC submitted its franchise disclosure document in March, EYM Chicken was listed as owning a total of 47 stores at the end of 2023, suggesting that these recent closures likely impacted a significant portion of its operations.
EYM Group has faced significant challenges in recent years.
The operator has been involved in legal disputes with KFC’s parent company, Yum Brands, concerning the performance of EYM’s Pizza Hut locations.
EYM has accused Yum Brands of lagging behind competitors in technology and practices, and the pizza division subsequently filed for bankruptcy after closing several units in the Midwest.
Last year, EYM’s Burger King subsidiary, EYM King, shut down numerous locations and is currently being sued by Armada Oil and Gas for allegedly failing to pay rent and violating a lease.
The restaurant industry has seen a wave of bankruptcies among operators and brands since early 2023, beginning with Toms King, which operates 90 Burger King units, filing for Chapter 11.
Earlier this summer, a 48-unit Subway franchisee and a major Arby’s operator also sought bankruptcy protection.
KFC has not provided any comments regarding the closures of EYM Chicken’s stores.
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Also Read: An Unexpected Retailer Is Now Closing All Stores in Illinois
Other Economy News Today
A beloved grocery chain now confirms unexpected closures across the Northeast taking place by the end of the year.
Grocery chain Stop & Shop has announced that a total of 32 underperforming locations will shutter in the U.S.
The company said the select stores across the Northeast will be closed before the end of the year.
Stores in New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island will close by November 2.
In May, the company announced the coming store closures.
“Stop & Shop has evaluated its overall store portfolio and made the difficult decision to close underperforming stores to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand,” company president Gordon Reid said, per a July 12 press release.
The company’s president added that the closures were essential “to create a healthy base for the future growth of our brand.”
Fortunately, employees will be offered other positions within the company, according to a press release.
The grocery outlet first opened in 2014 and currently has around 400 stores and 60,000 employees, per Fox affiliate KRLD.
Stop & Shop is owned by Ahold Delhaize which also owns Food Lion, Giant Food, and Hannaford.
Which grocery stores are closing?
In New Jersey, 10 locations will close, while only seven will close in New York.
Rhode Island will see two closures and Massachusetts, the home of the first location, will be closing eight.
Five stores will also be closing in Connecticut.
As other chains such as Walmart and Amazon join the grocery business, it has pushed traditional grocery stores out of view, reports The-Sun.
Stop & Shop hopes the closure of underperforming stores will create “future growth” for the company.
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