EDISON, NJ — The True Food Kitchen in Edison has closed, the company confirmed Monday, as the restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy protection. The company has shut down 12 locations nationwide.
The Edison restaurant's last day of service was Sunday, company spokesperson told Patch.
"Unfortunately, the company made the difficult decision to close this location as part of its restructuring," the spokesperson said.
The Edison restaurant had been listed as permanently closed on Google and no longer appeared on the company's website.
Team members from the Edison location "may have the opportunity to transfer to another location, subject to availability and approval of hire," the spokesperson said.
True Food Kitchen and certain affiliates filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on Monday, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, according to a company news release. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company said the process will help it strengthen its finances and "optimize its restaurant footprint and cost structure."
The company's remaining 34 restaurants across 14 states are open and serving guests as usual, the release said.
"This process is the best path forward to simplify the business and focus on what we do best: delivering craveable, health-forward food and genuine hospitality," CEO Jeff Chandler said in the release.
Chandler also addressed the workers affected by the closures. "We know these decisions are especially hard on the team members affected, and we are deeply grateful for their contributions to True Food Kitchen and their communities," he said. The company said it will share information on resources and next steps with those employees.
As part of the bankruptcy, True Food Kitchen plans a court-supervised sale process to find a long-term partner for the brand. Any sale would need court approval.
The company also said it has secured a commitment for about $20 million in financing from HumanCo TFK IV, subject to court approval. It said the money, along with cash from operations, is expected to support the business through the bankruptcy and sale processes.
True Food Kitchen has asked the court to approve measures that would allow it to keep paying employee wages and benefits and keep working with vendors during the process.
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