Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the number of closures and markets.
About 25 KFC restaurants have abruptly closed in various markets in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. All of the restaurants are owned by franchisee EYM Chicken, the company confirmed in an email Wednesday evening.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the chicken chain stated, “These locations are owned by one franchisee. The decision to close a restaurant is always difficult for both the franchisee and the brand. We appreciate the patronage of our loyal guests.”
EYM Chicken Operations only operated restaurants in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. WMBD-TV reported that the KFC stores will remain closed until the locations have new owners.
All other KFC restaurants in the three states remain open.
EYM Chicken Operations’ parent company EYM Group also franchises Denny’s, Pizza Hut, and Panera locations. In July, several of its Pizza Hut locations also closed and, shortly thereafter, EYM Pizza L.P. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing came after Pizza Hut sued EYM for not paying royalties on time, even after a forbearance period granted last year that ended in February.
EYM had previously sued Pizza Hut for breach of fiduciary duty, among other claims, but the case was dismissed, opening the way for Pizza Hut’s own lawsuit.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
