Amid a troubling economic landscape for many restaurants, Bravo Brio Restaurants, LLC is taking steps to safeguard its future.
The company, which owns Bravo! Italian Kitchen and Brio Italian Grille, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 18 in an effort to “improve its financial position as it brings on a new investor,” per a press release.
The company hopes to “quickly and efficiently reorganize its business for a sustainable and successful future.” The process may include “closing underperforming locations, restructuring debt, and streamlining and reducing operational expenses.”
There are currently 25 Brio Italian Grille locations and 23 Bravo! Italian Kitchen restaurants across the country. A spokesperson tells TODAY.com there are no current plans to close any locations.
While deciding to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Bravo Brio Restaurants, LLC considered “macroeconomic forces beyond the Company’s control” that “have weighed heavily on its business.”
For instance, rising costs have led many consumers to eat out less to save money. At the same time, restaurants have had to shoulder the burden of rising food and labor costs. This has all led to “underperformance” for the company, particularly in “shopping centers with high vacancies and declining foot traffic.”
Increased competition from other casual dining chains has also made it harder for some restaurants to remain as profitable as they once were.
Looking ahead, the company predicts a “seamless” transition for Bravo! and Brio customers, employees and vendors, with “minimal disruption to operations.”
This is the second time Bravo Brio Restaurants, LLC has turned to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in recent years to cope with what the company calls “insurmountable” pressures.
In 2020, the restaurant group closed 48 locations after filing for bankruptcy. Earl Enterprises later purchased Bravo and Brio.
Other restaurants have made similar moves in recent years. In March 2025, Hooters filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Texas. As part of the deal, a group of owners of some of Hooters’ most lucrative locations, along with the company’s founders, agreed to buy more than 100 restaurants owned by the company.
TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 after closing dozens of underperforming locations earlier in the year. On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina also filed for bankruptcy in March 2025, per AP News, as did Red Lobster in May 2024.
