WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA — A restaurant chain with a location at Broadway Plaza has filed for bankruptcy and shuttered a dozen restaurants. But there’s some good news for local diners.
The chain is True Food Kitchen. The company announced its Chapter 11 filing on October 5. Its remaining 34 restaurants across 14 states are continuing to serve customers.
The closures hit California, too. According to SFGATE, the chain shut its Century City, El Segundo and San Diego UTC restaurants.
But here’s the good news. Its Palo Alto and Walnut Creek locations will remain in business.
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What’s happening at Broadway Plaza?
True Food Kitchen’s current restaurant directory still lists Walnut Creek among its five California locations, alongside Palo Alto, Pasadena, Newport Beach and San Diego’s Fashion Valley restaurant.
The Walnut Creek restaurant is at 120 Broadway Lane, Building 4, Space 1044. Its website continues to offer reservations and online ordering, and Broadway Plaza also lists it in its dining directory.
For diners who know the restaurant for its vegetable-forward bowls, pizzas and weekend brunch, the local dining option is still there.
The restaurant’s posted hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Why did the chain file for bankruptcy?
Although it has several California restaurants, True Food Kitchen was founded in Phoenix in 2008.
Business Insider, citing bankruptcy filings, reported that the chain has about $42 million in debt. Those filings describe management turnover, repeated changes in strategy and unsuccessful investments outside the company’s core business, along with lingering pandemic effects.
The chain also has a famous backer: Oprah Winfrey invested in 2018. A company spokesperson told Business Insider that she remains a minority investor, although she is no longer on the board.
The plan is to keep serving diners
True Food Kitchen is pursuing a court-supervised sale to find a long-term partner. It has also secured a commitment for approximately $20 million in financing to support operations during the bankruptcy process, subject to court approval.
The 12 shuttered restaurants had their final day of service October 4. Walnut Creek is among the locations continuing to operate under the company’s announced plan.
That gives local diners a reason for relief, even as the chain’s restructuring and potential sale remain unresolved.
