In recent years, restaurants have had to walk a very fine line. To have mass appeal, chains need to offer a certain cool factor, along with good value.
That’s something that Chili’s has managed to capture. There’s nothing overly cool about the chain, but it has leaned into value which has sort of validated the entire brand.
Applebee’s had a moment too powered by Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like,” which called out the the chain. That song, along with strong value, helped revitalize a brand that had otherwise been struggling.
Restaurants reported a mixed summer, according to data from the National Restaurant Association.
F”orty-six percent of restaurant operators said their same-store sales rose between August 2024 and August 2025. That was down slightly from 48% of operators who reported higher sales in July,” the trade association shared.
Almost the same amount of restaurants reported negative results.
“Forty-three percent of operators said their sales declined in August, compared to 42% in July.”
It’s a challenging climate that has led to a number of restaurant chains failing. That list has now grown to include CPG Restaurant Group.
CPG Restaurant group may not be a household name, but it owns a number of concepts many people do.
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Cheesie’s Pub & Grub (two locations)
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Whiskey Business (bar/whiskey-focused concept)
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Lost Reef Lounge
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Broke, High & Hungry (cloud kitchen/ghost kitchen concept)
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Bob’s Bomb A** Burgers (cloud kitchen concept)
The corporate company has a very limited online presence aside from its hiring site, but Cheesie’s Pub & Grub has a website, which describes its business.
“It all started with lunch with a good friend one day. They were craving a grilled cheese, but there wasn’t anywhere close to go. Chris’s friend mentioned that she wished there was a place that sold just grilled cheese. That night he went home and wrote the menu, the business plan, devoured a grilled cheese, and within 3 weeks quit his job,” the company shared.
The chain offers a menu “inspired by his terrible eating habits and love for foods he grew up on: mac-n-cheese, chicken tenders, French fries, and grilled cheese,” but in a bar-style environment.
CPG Restaurant Group has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but appears to still be operating normally. The company’s court filing said it has a debtor-in-possession plan, but it has not filed those details yet.
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CPG Restaurant Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 15, 2025 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York.
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The case number is 1-25-44958.
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The company lists both assets and liabilities in the range of $1 million to $10 million.
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CPG Restaurant Group reported between 1-49 creditors.
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The filing places CPG into debtor in possession status, meaning it aims to continue operations during restructuring.
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No public details yet on the full debt load, assets, planned restructuring, or proposed creditor recoveries (those are typically developed in subsequent filings).