FAT Brands Nears Bankruptcy as Creditors Demand Repayment of $1.3 Billion Debt

FAT Brands is facing a serious financial crisis after its lenders declared the company’s entire $1.3 billion debt load immediately due, according to a new SEC filing. The restaurant operator — whose portfolio includes Fatburger, Johnny Rockets, Round Table Pizza, Twin Peaks and others — does not have the cash needed to satisfy its creditors, putting it at significant risk of bankruptcy. The lenders’ action covers FAT Brands and four of its subsidiaries, and the filing makes clear that further steps by creditors could force the company into a formal restructuring.

The accelerated repayment demand follows defaults last month on debt tied to five FAT Brands subsidiaries. The filing cites insufficient deposits in its securitization accounts at UMB Bank as one of the triggers. FAT Brands ended the most recent quarter with only $2 million in available cash and another $12 million restricted — far short of the funds necessary to meet the lenders’ demands. The company has been in discussions with creditors about refinancing or restructuring its obligations, but no agreement has been reached.

Much of FAT Brands’ financial strain stems from the aggressive acquisition spree it embarked on beginning in 2019, which dramatically increased the company’s leverage. To ease that burden, the company has been trying to spin off Twin Peaks through an IPO and recently hired an executive specifically tasked with reducing the company’s debt load. 

Operationally, FAT Brands is still struggling. Same-store sales declined 3.5% in the most recent quarter. Despite the downturn, the company has continued opening new locations across its portfolio — a stark contrast to chains like TGI Fridays, which faced its own creditor intervention last year after years of shrinking its U.S. footprint.

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