The Covid pandemic doomed many restaurant chains.
Some eateries were simply not set up for the pivot to delivery and takeout. Many restaurants had business models built around their dining rooms.
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In some cases, the lack of foot traffic was a real problem. If you owned a lunch shop or coffee chain where most of the customers worked in a nearby office, most of your customers simply disappeared.
The bigger problem is that after the pandemic ended, not everyone returned to work. That left many chains with locations where people simply no longer visited in great enough numbers.
With work-from-home and hybrid work setups, a number of restaurants simply did not have enough potential customers to succeed. Some chains, including McDonald’s and Starbucks, shut down dozens of locations because they no longer made sense.
For smaller chains, the Covic pandemic was a much bigger problem. Corner Bakery Café, a coffee, pastry, breakfast, and sandwich chain was nearly driven out of business because many of its locations were located near offices.
The chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Feb. 2023, reporting estimated assets and liabilities both between $10 million and $50 million, according to court documents.
Corner Bakery Café had around 175 locations at the time of the filing.
Coffee shops were hit hard by the pandemic.
Image source: Shutterstock
Corner Bakery Café has new owners
Under new ownership, Corner Bakery Café has begun its comeback.
The company was purchased in June, 2023 by Dallas-based SSCP Management . SSCP is a franchisee of Applebee’s and Sonic and the owner of Roy’s and Cicis Pizza, the latter acquired in 2021 after it filed for bankruptcy earlier that year.
SSCP has experience bringing brands back from the brink.
“We knew the brand stood for something that we really believed in, but we also knew it kind of ran into some trouble with Covid and an ownership change and leadership changes,” said SSCP President Chris Dharod at the time. “We felt like it was an opportunity where we’d be able to come in and get the brand back to where it was at.”
The chain remains committed to its original message.
“Inspired by great fresh ingredients, our small neighborhood bakery on a corner in downtown Chicago began creating artisan breads and freshly baked sweets. And upon a little success, neighbors began to ask us for sandwiches made with that fabulous bread, followed by homemade soups and salads, and even made-to-order scramblers. Our guests’ requests continued to inspire us as our bakery’s menu and business grew,” the company shared on its website.
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The cafe continues to use what it calls “real kitchens in place of assembly lines.”
“You’ll hear the chopping of over 40 types of fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables, and the sizzle of our real panini grill. You’ll see the stove’s open flame and feel the warmth from our ovens working all day long. They’re the traditions we established years ago that we still passionately follow today,” it added
Corner Bakery Café turns a corner
The once-struggling chain has been reenergized and recapitalized by its new owners.
Corner Bakery Cafe recently completed renovations at seven locations, one in Pennsylvania and six in California, reinforcing its commitment to providing guests with a warm and inviting dining experience.
SInce buying the brand, SSCP has reinvested over $6.2 million back into the business through 100% self-funded improvements. The more recent remodeled locations in California, completed between October 2024 and January 2025, offer refreshed interiors and exteriors designed to enhance the guest experience while maintaining the café’s signature neighborhood charm.
“Renovations include updated seating, flooring, paint, décor, beverage counters, awnings, and patio furniture, all aimed at creating a more modern, comfortable atmosphere for guests. These recent investments are part of a broader revitalization effort. In the first half of 2025,” the company shared in a press release.
Corner Bakery plans to spend another half of a million dollars to remodel additional locations, primarily in Illinois and Pennsylvania, with the goal of updating all its locations by 2027.
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The chain has also continued to expand.
“In addition to these remodels, Corner Bakery continues its national expansion, with new corporate café investments. Joining Union Station in Chicago and Capital Hill in Washington D.C., both of which opened in July 2024, is the highly anticipated re-opening of the Accenture Tower location on March 24, 2025, in one of the busiest train stations in Chicago,” the company shared.
The Chicago re-opening will then be followed by a fourth new location for the brand, in Irvine, CA, in May 2025. Another location has also been opened in Texas by a franchisee.
