Some Sweet Tomatoes Locations May Close

PLEASANTON, CA — Garden Fresh, the parent company of Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, which was founded in San Diego in 1978 and still operates 12 restaurants in the region, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has plans to shutter some of its stores in a bid to recover financially, the company announced Monday.

The San Diego-based company — which operates locations in Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Del Mar, Encinitas, Escondido, Kearny Mesa, La Mesa, Mira Mesa, Mission Gorge, Point Loma, Rancho Bernardo and Vista; along with nine in Orange County, 14 in Los Angeles County, five in the Inland Empire, eight in the San Francisco Bay Area and one in Fresno — will close 20-30 of its under performing locations, but did not say which ones Monday.

Here is the full news release from Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp.:

"Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. ("Garden Fresh") today announced that it has reached an agreement with its lenders to restructure the Company's debt. Under terms of the agreement, the Company will significantly reduce debt obligations and improve its financial structure.

"To implement the restructuring, Garden Fresh has filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 protection. Piper Jaffray has been engaged to assist with the anticipated sale of the business to second lien lenders, subject to higher and better bids.

"The Company also plans to close between 20 and 30 underperforming restaurants to strengthen its financial position, pending approval from the court overseeing the reorganization. Garden Fresh said it has received commitments for debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing from second lien lenders to fund post-petition operating expenses, including its obligations to employees and suppliers. The Company does not expect the filing to have meaningful impact on its day-to-day operations.

"Garden Fresh will operate our business as usual, and we remain focused on providing fresh, wholesome food and great service to our guests," said John Morberg, CEO of Garden Fresh. "By improving our capital structure through this restructuring, we'll be able to accelerate the changes underway to refresh our restaurants and build a strong future." "The Company expects to emerge from the Chapter 11 process by December 5. [....] "

See Also:

• Elephant Bar Restaurant in Dublin Closed

By Maggie Avants (Patch Staff)