Boston Market Corporation, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Newtown Township, Pennsylvania. Since 2020, it has been owned by Engage Brands, LLC, a company of Rohan Group. Also, frozen meals and side dishes are sold nationally under the Boston Market brand name in food markets. The chain was known for rotisserie chickens, and later branched out into other meats such as turkey, meatloaf, and ham. A common meal had a meat with a few sides such as potatoes, cream spinach, mac n' cheese, and accompanied by a corn bread. Stores sometimes had seasonal specials and they also had a line of sandwiches. It was popular in the 1990s and early 21st century but by the 2020s was in a rapid decline, and by 2024 there was only a couple dozen stores left.
From 1985 to 1995, it was known as Boston Chicken, and had rapid expansion to over a thousand locations. But by the late 1990s it had filed for bankruptcy and had to close many stores, down to a few hundred, and ended up being bought by McDonald's in 2000. It was then sold again in 2007, and again in 2020. In the 2020s it began to encounter more store closures and some legal issues and by late 2024 only small number of locations remained. It is remembered for helping to popularize rotisserie chickens as well as fast casual, which both remain popular nationally.
In November 2020, the chain had approximately 342 company-owned restaurant locations in 28 states and Puerto Rico.[4] It had its greatest presence in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, but also had a large presence in California, Florida, and Texas. As of August 2024[update], the chain was struggling financially and had closed most of its locations.
Boston Market meal with Chicken, Cornbread, Mac 'n Cheese, and Mashed Potatoes
Boston Chicken was founded by Steven Kolow and Arthur Cores in 1985 in Newton, a suburb of Boston. The chain expanded rapidly in the early and mid-1990s.
Boston Market interior, on the left was oven with rotating Chickens being cooked, hence the rotisserie
When it was known as Boston Chicken, restaurants specialized in rotisserie chicken and a variety of side dishes, but in February 1995, the chain expanded its menu to include turkey, meatloaf, and ham and changed the name to Boston Market[5] in fall 1995 to reflect this.
In 1995, Boston Chicken created the Einstein Bros. Bagels chain of bakery cafés, after acquiring several smaller chains of bagel-centric bakeries.
In 1996, the chain launched a line of sandwiches known as "Boston Carver Sandwiches" that feature chicken, turkey, ham, and meatloaf; in 1997, due to the success of the new line, the "Extreme Carver" sandwiches were launched, filled with more portions of the above meats and more cheese than the originals. The corporate name remained "Boston Chicken, Inc." until 1997, when it became so popular with the new name, the corporate name was changed to "Boston Market Corporation".
The company raised a lot of debt to finance its expansion.[6] The rapid expansion allowed the company to create a steady stream of revenue from one-time development fees and increasing royalties, but also raised interest rates on its development loans. In 1998, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[7]
Since April 1999, a selection of Boston Market-branded items have been available in many supermarkets across the United States.
Boston Market was purchased by McDonald's Corporation in May 2000. McDonald's purchased the company for its real estate, but found the brand serviceable and therefore continued to operate and expand.
In the early 2000s, Boston Market operated two locations in Toronto, Ontario. In early 2002, Boston Market entered the Australian market, opening nine stores in the Sydney metropolitan area by 2004, before converting some stores to McDonald's and quietly exiting the Australian market later that year due to competitive pressures.
In April 2004, Boston Market introduced chilled menu items to be sold at supermarkets. In December 2005, these chilled menu items were available in 700 supermarkets.
In 2005, Boston Market also started offering limited-time offers, such as Crispy Country Chicken, an oven-baked chicken breast with gravy.
In 2007, McDonald's announced that it was "exploring strategic options" for the subsidiary.[8] On August 6, 2007, McDonald's announced plans to sell the chain to Sun Capital Partners,[9] a transaction that was completed on August 27, 2007.[10]
Prime rib was introduced in 2018, shown here with mashed potatoes and gravy, and mac n' cheese. It was only available on certain days.
In April 2018, Boston Market announced that it was expanding its menu to offer rotisserie prime rib nationwide, three days a week.[11] In 2020, they introduced baby back ribs paired with Sweet Baby Ray's sauce.[12]
In April 2020, Sun Capital Partners sold Boston Market to Engage Brands, LLC, a company of Rohan Group, owned by Jignesh "Jay" Pandya.[13]
In 2023 and beyond, Boston Market experienced financial problems and closed most of its locations.[1]
At the start of 2023 there was about 300 locations, but by early 2024 the chain was down to 27 locations.[14]
Menu
Quarter Chicken Meal, with Macaroni and Cheese, Corn Bread, and Potatoes and Gravy. The small container has Rosemary Lemon sauce
Boston Market at one point also introduced rotisserie nuggets. An example of steamed vegetable offered was broccoli, and an example of a desert item is chocolate chip cookies.[17]
Boston Market also had seasonal holiday menu and catering food packages, such as for Thanksgiving dinner (A traditional U.S. Holiday meal), they offered a whole Rotisserie Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Vegetable Stuffing, Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Cranberry Walnut Relish, Dinner rolls, and Pumpkin and Apple pies (example from 2018).[18]
The supermarket brand is produced by Bellisio Foods and as of 2024 continues to produce items such as Chicken Pot pie bites, mashed potatoes, and chicken fajita rice bowls.[19]
Trademark dispute and grocery brand
In 2002, Boston Pizza commenced a lawsuit against Boston Market in the Federal Court of Canada over the trademark use of the word "Boston" in Canada.[20] In its defense, Boston Market alleged that Boston Pizza's trademarks were invalid because it described a style of pizza from a specific area.[21] The dispute continued after Boston Market ceased operations in Canada in 2004. The parties settled the dispute in 2008 under an agreement that Boston Market would not use the words "Boston" or "Boston Market" in Canada for five years for restaurants or any food or drink products (other than pre-packaged food products, but not including pizza and lasagna). Boston Market also agreed that it would not challenge Boston Pizza's use in Canada of any trademark that uses the words "Boston" or "Boston Pizza" (with certain exceptions).[22]
Financial problems of 2023-2024
Closed down Boston Market, 2024Note on the door of a Boston Market in Miami, May 2024
On July 3, 2023, a complaint in court was filed stating the Danbury, Connecticut Boston Market owed in excess of $61,000 in unpaid rent and connected charges. A ruling in the landlord's favor July 28, 2023 led to an eviction.[23]
On July 25, 2023, US Foods sued Boston Market for $11.3 million, accusing the company of owing them over $10 million for food distributed over several prior years.[24]
On August 14, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development gave a Stop-Work Order at 27 of the 31 Boston Market stores in New Jersey over multiple violations of workers rights, including owed backpay of up to $607,471 from up to 314 employees. An investigation on the matter began in November 2022 when an employee in Mercer County filed a complaint. The affected employees have since been reimbursed for their lost wages, and the stores were allowed to re-open a month later.[25]
In September 2023, investigative journalists of Restaurant Business Magazine revealed Pandya has over 200 lawsuits against him related to unpaid wages of employees, unpaid suppliers, and other violations related to his restaurants. The report described Pandya's ownership of Boston Market as "chaotic".[26]
In November 2023, the company failed to pay workers in Massachusetts.[27]
On November 14, 2023, all Detroit-area Boston Market locations were permanently shuttered and were handed eviction notices due to unpaid rent.[28] On November 20, 2023, all 8 remaining Connecticut Boston Market locations, located in East Haven, Meriden, West Hartford, Wilton, Stratford, Milford, Bristol, and Newington, were all permanently shuttered and handed eviction notices due to unpaid rent.[29] As a result of rising eviction notices and unpaid rent, Boston Market and owner Pandya filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2023.[30][31]
On January 10, 2024, the company announced that it would allow anyone to open a Boston Market franchise without the usual franchise fees or other buy-in requirements.[32]
On January 11, 2024, Boston Market's bankruptcy case was dismissed after being unresponsive to court requests.[33] On February 1, 2024, US Foods won its lawsuit against Boston Market, with federal judge Manish Shah claiming that Boston Market's defenses in the lawsuit were "gossamer".[34] On February 12, 2024, shortly after getting their second bankruptcy dismissed, Boston Market filed for bankruptcy for the third time after losing its lawsuit against US Foods.[35]
Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, novelty, and speciality items, and a variety of "value menu" items. As of 2023, Taco Bell serves over two billion customers each year, at 8,212 restaurants, more than 94 percent of which are owned and operated by independent franchisees and licensees.
A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.
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Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., also known as Popeyes and formerly named Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits, is an American multinational chain of fried chicken restaurants formed in 1972 in New Orleans and headquartered in Miami. It is currently a subsidiary of Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International. As of 2021, Popeyes has 3,705 restaurants, which are located in more than 46 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 30 countries worldwide. About 50 locations are company-owned; the other ~98% are franchised.
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D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches is a chain of 83 neighborhood-style sandwich shops found in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches was founded in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1967. It serves various kinds of grilled and deli sandwiches, rice and grain bowls, lobster rolls, grilled topped salads, wraps, and hot soups. The company's grilled sandwich Number 9 was called "the finest fast-food sandwich in the land" in a Bloomberg News column.
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