True Food Kitchen files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, closes 12 restaurants

True Food Kitchen, a national restaurant concept co-founded in Phoenix by entrepreneur Sam Fox, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Sunday.

The health-conscious chain, which has financial backing from Oprah Winfrey, said that Sunday was the last day for 12 of its restaurants, but all three Arizona locations remain open.

The closures leave True Food Kitchen with 34 restaurants across 14 states.

The business is using the voluntary filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas to restructure and pursue a court-supervised sale.

“True Food Kitchen is a pioneering brand with a distinctive position in wellness-driven dining, a loyal community of guests and a mission that is more relevant than ever,” CEO Jeff Chandler said in a news release Monday. “This process is the best path forward to simplify the business and focus on what we do best: delivering craveable, health-forward food and genuine hospitality. We are confident this step will help us build a stronger True Food Kitchen for the future.”

The company says it has enough financing to support operations through the Chapter 11 and sale process.

Where are the Arizona True Food Kitchen restaurants?

Fox, the mastermind behind Fox Restaurant Concepts, and Dr. Andrew Weil opened the first True Food Kitchen at the Biltmore Fashion Park on Camelback Road near 24th Street in Phoenix.

In addition to the Biltmore location, the chain has restaurants at Scottsdale Quarter and Tucson’s La Encantada shopping center.

The brand spun off from Fox Restaurant Concepts in 2017.

In 2018, the company announced that Winfrey made a significant equity investment and was joining its board of directors. According to Fox Business, the media mogul remains a minority investor but is not on the board or involved in management.

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