FoodFirst Global Restaurants, the parent company of Bravo Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grille, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The Orlando, FL-based chain, which according to reports has closed 71 of its 92 restaurants, is seeking a buyer.
The two casual-dining concepts had been struggling, closing 10 locations this past January and eyeing others to shutter. The COVID-19 outbreak that forced dine-in closures and further devastated sales.
Founded in Columbus, OH, nearly 30 years ago, Bravo Brio Restaurant Group went public in October 2010 and was taken private in a May 2018 $100 million acquisition by a holding company that became FoodFirst. At that time, Bravo Brio operated 110 locations in 32 states, and had total annual sales of about $400 million.
