Boston Market facts for kids
Current logo (April 2018–present)
|
|
|
Trade name
|
Boston Market |
|---|---|
|
Formerly
|
Boston Chicken (1985–1995) |
| Private | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Genre | Fast casual |
| Founded |
|
| Founders | Steven Kolow Arthur Cores |
| Headquarters |
,
United States
|
|
Number of locations
|
26 (2024) |
|
Area served
|
United States |
|
Key people
|
Jay Pandya, Owner |
| Products | |
| Revenue | US$ 373 million  (2020) |
| Owner | Engage Brands LLC |
|
Number of employees
|
14,000 (2007) |
Boston Market, originally known as Boston Chicken, is a popular American restaurant chain. It's known for serving "fast casual" meals. This means you get your food quickly, but it's often healthier and feels more like a sit-down meal than traditional fast food. The company's main office is in Golden, Colorado. Since 2020, it has been owned by the Rohan Group.
Boston Market restaurants are found mostly in the Northeast and Midwestern United States. You can also find many locations in California, Florida, and Texas. In November 2020, there were about 346 Boston Market restaurants. They were located in 28 states and Puerto Rico. The company also sells frozen meals and side dishes in supermarkets across the country.
Contents
History of Boston Market
Boston Chicken was started by Steven Kolow and Arthur Cores in 1985. Their first restaurant was in Newton, near Boston. The chain grew very quickly in the early and mid-1990s.
When it was called Boston Chicken, the restaurants focused on rotisserie chicken. They also offered many different side dishes. In 1995, the menu grew to include turkey, meatloaf, and ham. Because of these new options, the company changed its name to Boston Market in the fall of 1995. This new name showed that they offered more than just chicken.
In 1995, Boston Chicken helped create the Einstein Bros. Bagels chain. This chain sells bagels and other bakery items.
In 1996, Boston Market launched a new line of sandwiches. These were called "Boston Carver Sandwiches." They featured chicken, turkey, ham, and meatloaf. In 1997, they added "Extreme Carver" sandwiches. These had even more meat and cheese. The company's official name stayed "Boston Chicken, Inc." until 1997. Then, because the new name "Boston Market" was so popular, the company officially became "Boston Market Corporation."
The company grew very fast, which sometimes caused financial challenges. In 1998, the company needed to reorganize its business. This process is called Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It helps companies get a fresh start when they are having trouble paying their bills.
Since April 1999, you can find Boston Market-branded items in many supermarkets.
McDonald's Corporation bought Boston Market in May 2000. McDonald's saw value in the restaurant locations. They decided to keep Boston Market running and even helped it grow.
In the early 2000s, Boston Market had a few locations in Toronto, Canada. In 2002, they also opened stores in Australia. By 2004, they had nine stores in Sydney. However, they later closed these stores and left the Australian market.
In April 2004, Boston Market started selling chilled menu items in supermarkets. By December 2005, these items were available in 700 stores.
In 2005, Boston Market also began offering special limited-time meals. One example was Crispy Country Chicken. This was an oven-baked chicken breast with gravy.
In 2007, McDonald's decided to sell Boston Market. On August 6, 2007, they announced plans to sell it to Sun Capital Partners. The sale was completed later that month.
In April 2018, Boston Market added rotisserie prime rib to its menu. This special dish became available nationwide three days a week.
In April 2020, Sun Capital Partners sold Boston Market to Engage Brands, LLC. This company is part of the Rohan Group, owned by Jignesh "Jay" Pandya.
On January 10, 2024, Boston Market announced a new plan. They would allow people to open a Boston Market franchise without the usual large fees.
Trademark Dispute and Grocery Brand
In 2002, another restaurant chain called Boston Pizza started a legal case against Boston Market in Canada. The issue was about using the word "Boston" in their names. Boston Market argued that Boston Pizza's name was too general. The disagreement continued even after Boston Market left Canada in 2004.
They finally settled the issue in 2008. Boston Market agreed not to use "Boston" or "Boston Market" for restaurants or most food products in Canada for five years. Boston Market also agreed not to challenge Boston Pizza's use of "Boston" in its name in Canada.
Recent Financial Challenges
In 2023 and 2024, Boston Market faced some financial difficulties. Some restaurant locations had trouble paying their rent. This led to several stores closing down. For example, some locations in Connecticut and Michigan closed permanently due to unpaid rent.
The company also had issues paying its suppliers for food. In addition, some employees in New Jersey and Massachusetts reported not receiving their wages. This led to investigations by labor departments.
Because of these financial problems, Boston Market and its owner needed to reorganize the business. They filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2023. This is a legal step to help a company deal with its debts and try to recover. However, the bankruptcy case was later dismissed. Boston Market filed for bankruptcy again in February 2024.
See also
- List of casual dining restaurant chains
- List of chicken restaurants
Images for kids
-
A former Boston Market restaurant.
