The fast-casual restaurant sector has faced financial distress since the Covid-19 pandemic severely impacted the industry beginning in 2020.
After restaurants were forced to temporarily shut down operations because of the pandemic, many were not able to recover and went out of business. The pandemic’s effects on the sector were magnified by several economic factors, such as rising inflation, increased interest rates on debt, and changing attitudes toward discretionary spending.
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Several fast-casual chains that closed locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2024 included Tijuana Flats, Burger Fi, and Rubio’s Coastal Grill.
Related: Popular fast-food chain franchises file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The fast-casual barbecue chain subsection has also faced restaurant closings and Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings.
Fast-casual chain Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants began closing locations after it peaked at 562 franchise units in 2017. It has closed about 244 locations since that time. The company, however, has not filed for bankruptcy and has not said whether it has any such plans.
Dickey’s franchise net total has plummeted each year, except for in 2021, when the company reported nine net openings to bring its franchise total up from 463 to 472 units, according to its Franchise Disclosure Document reported by QSR.
Dickey’s reported the steepest decline in franchise restaurant units since its peak with 85 net closures, dropping from 442 in 2023 to 357 in 2024, in its fiscal year ending May 31, 2024. The company opened 12 franchised restaurants but closed down 97.
The company’s franchise total also fell by 23 units from 465 in 2022 to 442 in 2023.
Top restaurant bankruptcies in 2024.
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In February 2025, Dickey’s had about 318 locations nationwide, according to Finance Buzz.
Barbecue restaurants file for bankruptcy
While the parent company has not filed for bankruptcy, franchise operator Smokin’ Dutchman Holdings, which operates four Michigan Dickey’s restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sept. 9, 2024, to restructure its business, blaming its financial difficulties on Dickey’s for allegedly imposing extreme and unreasonable demands on the debtor’s resources.
The Dallas-based barbecue restaurant chain was founded in 1941 and features slow-smoked beef brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis-style ribs, polish sausage, spicy cheddar sausage, smoked turkey, and marinated chicken. Its side dishes include baked beans, loaded baked potato casserole, fried okra, green beans with bacon, fries, mac and cheese, coleslaw, and potato salad.
It also offers brisket, pulled pork, turkey, chicken breast, sausage, and smoked meat and cheese sandwiches.
Sticky Fingers Rib House has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
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Sticky Fingers Rib House files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
And now, South Carolina-based barbecue restaurant chain Sticky Fingers Restaurants LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize its business on March 1.
Related: Popular restaurant chain plans to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The barbecue dining chain operates four Sticky Fingers Rib House locations in Greenville, North Charleston, and Summerville, S.C., and Chattanooga, Tenn. The ribs chain is not affiliated with the Sticky’s Finger Joint chicken fingers chain that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 25, 2024.
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The chicken fingers chain operated 12 locations in New York and New Jersey when it filed its petition in 2024.
The Greenville, S.C.-based barbecue restaurant chain, however, listed up to $50,000 in assets and $1 million to $10 million in liabilities in its petition. The debtor said funds would be available to distribute to unsecured creditors.
Sticky Fingers Rib House operated as many as 11 locations in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the restaurant chain to permanently close nine of its locations, according to its website. The company later opened two more locations.
The dining chain’s menu includes barbecue pork ribs, smoked chicken, pulled pork, smoked brisket, and chicken wings, as well as a variety of side dishes like fries, tater tots, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad, fried corn on the cob, and mac and cheese.
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