Here are nine Tijuana Flats closed in South Florida as Chapter 11 filing loomed

Tijuana Flats closed nine South Florida restaurants in the days and weeks before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday.

The company, a fast-casual provider of Tex-Mex dishes like tacos, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas and flautas, announced the filing on Friday in a news release. It also announced that a new ownership group had taken control of the company “with a plan of revitalizing its restaurants and reinvigorating the customer experience.”

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing allows a company to restructure its operation while discharging existing debt. Tijuana Flats’ filing, in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Orlando, stated that the company had assets of between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities between $10 million and $50 million.

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Friday’s news release stated that 11 of the company’s restaurants were closed last week. The sale and bankruptcy filing, the release said, resulted from a “strategic review” that began last November. The company explored various options including a potential sale.

The closures “was a result of a unit-by-unit analysis of financial performance, occupancy costs, and market conditions,” the release said.

A spokeswoman for the company said by email on Monday that the company’s Boynton Beach location was the only South Florida-based Tijuana Flats closed last week. Others were in Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, and one was in Virginia, she said.

However, the company closed eight other South Florida locations since late 2023, according to a search of Google and Yelp listings, phone calls and nine evictions cases filed in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Six of the evictions cases have been resolved, either through settlements or by landlords securing wins by default, according to court records. It is unclear what will happen in three open evictions cases, including one filed against a location that continues to operate in Royal Palm Beach.

Typically, litigation is suspended against defendants when they file for bankruptcy protection.

Jason Descalzo, a manager at the Deerfield Beach Tijuana Flats, said he was “saddened” by the rash of nearby closings but affirmed that his location was “still going strong after 24 years.”

“In no way were we affected,” Descalzo said. “We have no plans to go dark.”

The new owners, a California-based company called Flatheads LLC, said they plan to focus on “quality controls, speed of service, consistency of food, serving size, and improving the in-store experience.” As part of that goal, the owners plan to renovate many of the locations “to give them a refresh,” according to the news release.

The chain was founded in Winter Park in 1995 as Tijuana Flats Burrito Co. A review by the Orlando Sentinel of the first restaurant in 1996 detailed the wide array of hot sauces that customers could choose.

Currently, the company operates 65 company owned stores in Florida. Twenty-six franchised locations operate in Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Alabama.

However, a Google search for the company turns up a description stating that it has more than 125 locations, suggesting that 34 locations have closed in recent months.

In South Florida, nine locations have recently closed.

They are:

• Fort Lauderdale — 1619 E. Sunrise Blvd.
• Coconut Creek — 6970 State Road 7.
• Plantation — 1371 S. University Dr.
• Pompano Beach — 431 S. Federal Highway.
• Boynton Beach — 390 N. Congress Ave.
• West Boca Raton — 20401 State Road 7.
• West Palm Beach — 2089 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd.
• Oakland Park — 5065 Old Dixie Highway.
• Miramar — 14633 Miramar Parkway.

The closures leave 10 Tijuana Flats restaurants still open in South Florida, as of Monday:

• Lauderhill — 7942 W. Commercial Blvd.
• Cooper City — 8703 Stirling Road.
• Coral Springs — 6204 Sample Road.
• Deerfield Beach — 278 S. Federal Highway.
• Hollywood — 3357 Sheridan St.
• Jupiter — 6771 Indiantown Road.
• Lantana-Lake Worth — 6201 S. Jog Road.
• Pembroke Pines — 12598 Pines Blvd.
• Royal Palm Beach — 280 S. State Road 7.
• Weston — 1110 Weston Road.

This article has been updated to correctly state which court received a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Tijuana Flats’ filing was made in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Orlando.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com .