Boston Market Corporation
Boston Market
FormerlyBoston Chicken
(1985–1995)
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
GenreFast casual
Founded
FoundersSteven Kolow
Arthur Cores
Headquarters
Golden, Colorado
,
United States
Number of locations
298 (2022[1])
Area served
United States
Key people
Jay Pandya, Owner
Products
RevenueUS$ 373 million[2] Increase (2020)
OwnerEngage brands LLC, Rohan Group, (Jay Pandya)
Number of employees
14,000 (2007)
Websitebostonmarket.com

Boston Market Corporation, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain headquartered in Golden, Colorado. It is owned by the Rohan Group.

Boston Market has its greatest presence in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States, but also has a large presence in California, Florida, and Texas. As of November 2020, the chain has approximately 346 company-owned restaurant locations in 28 states and Puerto Rico,[1] with 14,000 employees. 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.

History

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. The company raised a lot of debt to finance its expansion. 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.[3] 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 2007, McDonald's announced that it was "exploring strategic options" for the subsidiary.[4] On August 6, 2007, McDonald's announced plans to sell the chain to Sun Capital Partners,[5] a transaction that was completed on August 27, 2007.[6]

A former Boston Market in Durham, North Carolina

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[7] in fall 1995 to reflect this. However, 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." 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. In 2005, Boston Market also started offering limited-time offers, such as Crispy Country Chicken, an oven-baked chicken breast with gravy. Baked whitefish, haddock or cod was also offered on Fridays during Lent. Boston Market continues to introduce new items and flavors, such as their popular BBQ Ribs, Oven Crisp Chicken, and Parmesan Tuscan Chicken Premium Dish. In April 2018, Boston Market announced that it was expanding its menu to offer rotisserie prime rib nationwide, three days a week.[8]

Boston Chicken created the Einstein Bros. Bagels chain of bakery cafés in 1995, after acquiring several smaller chains of bagel-centric bakeries.

A selection of Boston Market-branded items have been available since April 1999 in many supermarkets across the United States. 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. Frozen meals and side dishes are sold nationally under the Boston Market brand name; these were previously manufactured by H. J. Heinz Company and Overhill Farms of Vernon, California, until Overhill Foods was purchased by Bellisio Foods of Duluth, Minnesota. Boston Market also provides catering for any size event for office meetings, office holiday parties, and private events, available with delivery or pick-up at the restaurant.

In April 2020, Sun Capital Partners sold Boston Market to Engage Brands, LLC, a company of Rohan Group, owned by Jignesh "Jay" Pandya.[9]

In September 2023, investigative journalists of Restaurant Business Magazine revealed Mr 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 Mr Pandya's ownership of Boston Market as "chaotic".[10] As a result of rising eviction notices and unpaid rent, Boston Market and owner Jay Pandya filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2023.[11][12]

Boston Market's menu primarily features rotisserie chicken.[13]

Controversies

Trademark dispute

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.[14] In its defense, Boston Market alleged that Boston Pizza's trademarks were invalid because it described a style of pizza from a specific area.[15] 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 will not challenge Boston Pizza's use in Canada of any trademark that uses the words "Boston" or "Boston Pizza" (with certain exceptions).[16]

Worker violations and unpaid rent

On August 14, 2023, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workplace 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.[17]

In November 2023, the company failed to pay workers in Massachusetts.[18]

On November 14, 2023, all Detroit-area Boston Market locations were permanently shuttered and were handed eviction notices due to unpaid rent.[19] On November 20, 2023, all 9 Connecticut Boston Market locations, located in East Haven, East Hartford, Meriden, West Hartford, Wilton, Stratford, Milford, Bristol, and Newington, were all permanently shuttered and handed eviction notices due to unpaid rent.[20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "All Boston Market Locations | Rotisserie Chicken, Catering, Food Delivery". www.bostonmarket.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Boston Market Overview".
  3. ↑ "A Chicken Autopsy". Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
  4. ↑ "McDonald's exploring options for Boston Market". Reuters. January 12, 2006. Archived from the original on October 14, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
  5. ↑ Chris Burritt (August 7, 2007). "McDonald's to Sell Boston Market to Sun Capital". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
  6. ↑ "McDonald's Wraps Up Boston Market Sale". Dow Jones & Company, Inc. News Services. August 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2007.
  7. ↑ Theresa Howard (February 27, 1995). "Boston Chicken chain targets new Market". BNET.
  8. ↑ "Boston Market Expands Menu to Offer New Rotisserie Prime Rib Nationwide, Unveils New 'Rotisserie Kitchen' Logo" (PDF). Boston Market Corporation. April 23, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Affiliates of Sun Capital Partners Complete Sale of Boston Market". www.businesswire.com. April 29, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Inside the Chaotic World of the Owner of Boston Market". restaurantbusinessonline.com/. September 11, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  11. ↑ Maze, Jonathan (December 12, 2023). "Boston Market owner files for bankruptcy". Restaurant Business Online. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  12. ↑ Kline, Daniel (December 16, 2023). "Beloved fast food chain enters a bankruptcy death spiral". Lexington Herald Leader. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Boston Market Signature Rotisserie Chicken". bostonmarket.com.
  14. ↑ "Boston Pizza battles Boston Market over name rights in Canada". Pizza Marketplace. October 11, 2002. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  15. ↑ Charlie Smith (March 17, 2005). "Pizza chain battles McDonald's over name". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Boston Pizza settles dispute with Boston Market over the name Boston". Welland Tribune. 2008. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  17. ↑ "NJDOL Orders Work to Halt at 27 Boston Market Locations Statewide" (Press release). New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. August 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Workers at Fall River's Boston Market Are Fed Up, Say They Haven't Been Paid in Weeks". Herald News. November 6, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Boston Market locations in metro Detroit area all closed". November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ "CT's Boston Market locations face evictions and lawsuits for unpaid rent". NBC Connecticut. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
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