Boston Market’s Woes Increase, Store Closures Amid Unpaid Rent and Wages
Update: Boston Market, once famous for its rotisserie chicken, has flown the coop on Long Island. The last remaining location on Long Island in Selden has closed down.
Boston Market, the once high-flying rotisserie chicken chain that had its peak during the 1990s, is in a precipitous downfall. A report in Restaurant Business magazine says that the fast-casual restaurant is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor for wage complaints, which comes on top of lawsuits from suppliers and evictions by landlords at locations across the country, including many on Long Island.
Long Island Business News recently reported that a Boston Market in Commack had been evicted following others in East Islip, New Hyde Park and Hempstead.
Workers at various locations in the metro area had lodged complaints about late or unpaid wages, prompting investigations by local news outlets.
Once at the top of its game – some say mainly because of the side offerings that came with its chicken dinners – Boston Market began a slow decline in the late 1990s when it filed for bankruptcy. It was purchased by McDonald’s in 2000 and then sold to a private equity firm a few years later, which in turn unloaded it in 2020 to a company called Rohan Group.
For any fans left of the chicken chain that made its name on Thanksgiving-style dinners, it seems that Boston Market’s goose is cooked.
📷 Long Island location of Boston Market. Google Maps.
