Biscuit Bar shutters all six Texas locations amid bankruptcy wind-down

A Texas restaurant chain known for its biscuit sandwiches and all-day comfort-food menu has abruptly shut down all six of its locations, just days before Christmas. Biscuit Bar, which operated five restaurants in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and one in Abilene, announced the closures in a statement posted to social media, calling the decision 'incredibly painful.' The shutdown affects more than 100 employees.

The closures affect six locations: five in the Dallas–Fort Worth metro area and one in Abilene. In its post, Biscuit Bar’s founders, Jake and Janie Burkett, said they had hoped to restructure the business to avoid shutting down and thanked customers for years of support.

Biscuit Bar had been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after filing earlier this year in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. The company’s founders said they had hoped to restructure the business and avoid a liquidation, but rising costs, supply-chain disruptions and what they described as 'a commercial environment increasingly shaped by large institutional interests' left the company at a crossroads.

According to the company, Biscuit Bar had reached a tentative deal to be acquired by an unnamed restaurant group. The sale was structured, terms were agreed upon, and the closing was set for December. But the deal collapsed after 'several financial stakeholders did not cooperate,' leaving the business with 'no legal or financial ability to continue operating.'

Filings show Biscuit Bar had almost no money left and debts running into the millions. The company has moved to end its reorganization and formally wind down the business.

The chain had been open since 2018 and marketed itself as a family-friendly spot for breakfast, lunch, dinner or drinks, offering biscuits, loaded tots and cocktails.

A GoFundMe campaign has been created to provide financial help to displaced workers.

The shutdown adds to a growing list of restaurant groups — from regional favorites to national chains — that have closed locations or disappeared this year, as pressures across the industry continue to mount. Small and mid-sized operators including Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Opa Restaurant Group, Oath Pizza and K&W Cafeteria have all shut down or dramatically scaled back. Single-location family-run restaurants such as Jenkins Quality Barbecue in Florida, Piggy’s Restaurant and Lounge in Wisconsin, and Hector’s Café and Diner in New York have also closed this year. K&W, an 88-year-old cafeteria chain across North Carolina and Virginia, closed its final eight locations this month.

Larger chains are also pulling back. Pizza Hut and Denny’s both sold their businesses this year after prolonged sales declines, while Red Robin has announced store closures. Cracker Barrel-owned Maple Street Biscuit Company is closing 14 locations, Bahama Breeze has shuttered 15 restaurants, and Wendy’s says it will wind down about 300 underperforming stores. Industry analysts point to a punishing mix of weaker customer demand, rising food and labor costs, and high interest rates — leaving little room for error for both independent restaurants and established chains alike.