A chain of bakery-cafes that got its start in Belgium--and which once appeared to have aspirations to expand to the Boston area--appears to be in serious trouble.
According to an article from USA Today, Le Pain Quotidien has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is now looking at a sale that would help stave off liquidation. The post states that the proposed sale would be to Aurify Brands, a New York-based company that oversees such brands as Five Guys and Melt Shop--and the sale could lead to the permanent closures of a number of Le Pain Quotidien outlets in the United States, as it is mentioned that at least 35 of its 98 locations in this country would be able to reopen, indicating that at least some of the others might shut down.
USA Today says that Le Pain Quotidien had actually been planning the bankruptcy filing before the COVID-19 pandemic, though chief restructuring officer Steven Fleming says that the coronavirus crisis brought the business to the brink of liquidation and all shops ended up closing for the time being.
Le Pain Quotidien was founded in Brussels back in 1990, with the chain building a big presence in New York City, and at one time, a page for Boston locations existed on its website, though no shops ever did open in or around the city. (Three locations can be found in Connecticut.)
The website for Le Pain Quotidien is at https://www.lepainquotidien.com/us/en/
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
