Tex-Mex Chain Shares Host of Updates

Tijuana Flats shared a batch of changes—among them a new owner, a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing and the shuttering of nearly a dozen units—in a Friday, April 19 press release.

Here’s a bit more on each:

The New Owner

Flatheads has acquired the Florida-based Tex-Mex brand from TJF USA. The new owners say they plan to renovate many of the 29-year-old chain’s restaurants as well as refresh the customer experience, details the press release. Further, Flatheads says it will look to renew the restaurant brand’s focus on quality controls, speed of service, consistency of food, serving size and improving the in-store experience.

“Our company is excited by the new ownership group’s plan to reinvest, focus and emphasize the things that originally brought so many people to love Tijuana Flats,” states Joe Christina, CEO of Tijuana Flats. “We understand the immediate financial actions taken by them to ensure the long-term health of this great and iconic brand.”

Christina, a 40-year restaurant professional who joined the brand in November 2022, will remain in the CEO role.

The Closures

Tijuana Flats shared that it has closed 11 restaurants after conducting “a unit-by-unit analysis of financial performance, occupancy costs and market conditions.” The brand says its remaining locations will continue to operate as usual.

The Filing

The brand filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, a decision it says it reached after carrying out a strategic review that started in November of last year.

Tijuana Flats has 65 company-owned locations throughout Florida as well as 26 franchised restaurants across Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.