Boston Market fast-food chain on the brink as owner files for bankruptcy protection, stores are evicted and employees and vendors are left unpaid

A popular fast-food chain could be on the brink of collapsing as its owner has personally filed for bankruptcy protection.

Boston Market has had its headquarters seized over $329,000 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes, stores have been evicted and employees and vendors left unpaid.

Its owner Jignesh Pandya has personally filed for bankruptcy protection which leaves the future of the company in doubt, according to The News Tribune. 

Although his potential personal bankruptcy does not spell the end for the fast-food chain, it has suffered a rocky six months. 

Boston Market, which began in Newton, Massachusetts, once had over 1,200 restaurant locations but this has now fallen significantly to 300. 

Fast-food giant McDonald's previously owned Boston Market for seven years until it sold it to a private equity firm in 2007. 

Boston Market grew rapidly as it enjoyed a successful period of business but it has been on a steep decline.

Its stores have slipped by more than three quarters and keeps falling every day.

The company's immediate future has been cast into doubt following Pandya's personal filing for bankruptcy protection. 

Boston Market stores have been getting evicted and its employees and vendors have not been paid. 

Its headquarters were seized back in May by the Colorado Department of Revenue due to $329,00 in unpaid sales and payroll taxes. 

Companies which do not have a central authority often decline quickly and this has been echoed with Boston Market as its stores have been closing at a rapid rate.

All of its restaurants in Connecticut and South Florida were shut down in recent weeks. 

Most of the closures are due to formal evictions because of unpaid rent. 

Boston Market is also facing a lawsuit from one of its key vendors US Foods over claims it is owed around $11million.

The company is also the subject of a federal investigation over unpaid wages from vendors and employees, according to Restaurant Business Online.

It has been sued more than 140 times in different states and federal courts since the current ownership took over in 2020.  

The brand has some value and a new owner, or a company it owes money to, could try to keep it going.

However, a fast-food chain which does not pay its rent or vendors won't be able to operate for long and the remaining Boston Market restaurants could be at risk of shutting too. 

Bankruptcy court could allow for workers to be paid and deals to be struck with vendors but the high volume of lawsuits mean making that happen quickly is unlikely. 

Boston Market is still sharing job posts on its LinkedIn page. 

DailyMail.com has contacted the company for comment.