SHORT NOTICE
Beloved restaurant chain files for bankruptcy for second time and closes 14 locations – staff were only left a note
The chain previously filed for bankruptcy shortly after the pandemic
A POPULAR bar and restaurant chain is set to close 14 locations as it struggles against costs and inflation.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday.
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Bar Louie announced that it will be rejecting the leases of 14 underperforming restaurants after filing for bankruptcy this week.
The "gastrobar" restaurant chain currently has fewer than 70 locations across the US.
The Texas-based chain is known for its casual-dining atmosphere and unique cocktail menu.
Bar Louie previously fired for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, following the closure of almost 40 locations.
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At its peak, the company had 134 locations internationally.
As of 2025, that total has dwindled down to less than half.
The shuttering locations are situated across Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, Colorado, and New Jersey.
All had shut down in the weeks and days preceding the filing.
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JOB GONE
According to a post on X, one employee was not informed of the chain's abrupt closures and only found out when she showed up to work.
Instead of receiving proper notice or communication, the worker learned she was out of a job from a note posted at the restaurant.
"A worker at Bar Louie in Auburn Hills, Michigan tells me she came to work today with a note that they were permanently closed and they were all out of a job," the user wrote.
"She came to work and found a note on the door," the user continued.
DEEP IN DEBT
The chain owes between $50 and $100 million in liabilities against assets of $1 to $10 million, according to the bankruptcy filing.
Over $1.8 million of the company's debt is owed to food distributor US Foods Dallas, a subsidiary of US Foods.
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Additionally, over $590,000 is owed to supplier Edward Don.
The company is also seeking to terminate the contracts of COO Michael Mrlik and SVP of Technology Roberta Frierson.
The company's sales dropped 2.3% in 2023, when the chain had 66 remaining locations.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the chain struggled to stay afloat.
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Bar Louie is far from the only casual-dining chain to see widespread closures post-pandemic.
Other chains seeing waves of closures include Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, Bucca di Beppo, and On the Border, which likewise attributed their difficulties to the post-pandemic landscape.