Beloved Buffet Chain Making a Resurgence 4 Years After Bankruptcy

When it comes to restaurants, the pandemic was difficult for the industry, in general. According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly one in six restaurants, meaning around 100,000 restaurants, closed either permanently or long-term six months into the pandemic, by September of 2020.

Even by August of that year, when things were starting to open back up, "consumer spending in restaurants remained well below normal levels in August," the National Restaurant Association notes, adding that sales were down 34 percent. In a separate study by the National Institutes of Health, 15.2 percent of restaurants in their sample closed in 2020.

So, the pandemic was hard on the restaurant industry, and that includes local spots and big chains. Now, one popular buffet chain that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2021 is making a comeback.

According to Chow Hound, back in 2021, Cicis Pizza, a Texas-based pizza restaurant, filed and emerged from bankruptcy after being sold to D&G Investors. "Cicis Pizza has closed over 100 locations since it filed for bankruptcy, leaving over 300 locations still in operation," they note.

Now, Cicis Pizza is making a comeback. "Cicis Pizza was designed for dine-in, and this is why the pandemic hit the franchise chain so hard," Chow Hound notes in a June 23 feature. The good news is that lately, as Chow Hound describes, "the chain has focused on some digital upgrades, like more robust call‑ahead and pick‑up ordering systems, as well as third‑party delivery."

So, moving forward, Cicis Pizza, is also going to now offer "larger arcade and game sections to draw in more families." Chow Hound adds that with Cicis now having 273 locations across the U.S. instead of 600, "tightening operations with fewer locations allows the franchise chain to come back better and stronger than before, repositioning itself from a bankrupt buffet concept to a family food and entertainment establishment."

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