Restaurant chain Tijuana Flats files for bankruptcy, announces closure of 11 locations

Tijuana Flats —known for its brand tagline of “Tex-Mex for all” — shut down its restaurants at 5635 San Jose Blvd. in Lakewood, 11700 San Jose Blvd. Unit 24 in Mandarin, 13820 Old St. Augustine Road in Bartram Park and 5907 Roosevelt Blvd. in Ortega Village on Feb. 15, 2024.

The Central Florida-based restaurant chain Tijuana Flats has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will be closing 11 of its restaurants, according to a release from the company.

The locations for the 11 restaurants that will be closing were not listed in the release, but Tijuana Flats said it will continue to provide full supports to its franchisees and that its remaining locations will continue to operate as usual.

As of Monday, the fast-casual restaurant chain operates 65 locations throughout Florida, along with 26 franchised restaurants in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.

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Tijuana Flats acquired by new ownership group

According to a release from the company, Tijuana Flats has been acquired by a new ownership group, Flatheads LLC, who listed the “immense brand recognition, strong following and customer loyalty, plus future potential of the brand as some of the key reasons it was excited about its new investment in the restaurant chain.”

The Tex-Mex chain was founded in 1995 in Winter Park, Florida. In a release, Joe Christina, who joined the brand in November 2022, will remain CEO of the company under the new ownership.

USA TODAY has contacted Tijuana Flats for the list of the closing locations.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Restaurant chain Tijuana Flats files for bankruptcy, announces closure of 11 locations