Taste of Belgium, a popular Cincinnati restaurant chain, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

A popular eatery known for its brunch options, Taste of Belgium was founded and is owned by Jean-Francois Flechet. While some restaurant chains have faced closures after filing for bankruptcy, Fletchet assured that the move would help the company in the long term and maintain its popularity in the city.

Despite filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, all locations will remain open.

“This is not about closing restaurants. It is about keeping them open. Filing for Chapter 11 gives us the protection we need to adapt, remain in business and continue serving our guests. From a customer standpoint, nothing changes. Our doors are open, and our team is here,” Flechet said in a statement obtained by WXIX.

Fletchet also mentioned several factors contributing to the company’s financial issues, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in dining habits, inflation and lower downtown foot traffic.

Taste of Belgium has closed other locations

The company filing for bankruptcy comes just a few months after Taste of Belgium closed its flagship location in Over-the-Rhine, a historic neighborhood in Cincinnati, which opened in 2011. That Taste of Belgium location marked the company’s eighth closure in 12 months, the Journal-News reported.

Below are the Taste of Belgium locations that closed in the past year:

—Clifton (closed May 2024)
—Kenwood (closed May 2024)
—Liberty Twp. (closed May 2024)
—Crestview Hills, Kentucky (closed September 2024)
—Fields Ertel, Mason (closed September 2024)
—Austin Landing, Greater Dayton area (closed December 2024)
—Beavercreek, Greater Dayton area (closed January 2025)
—Over-the-Rhine (closed September 2025)

‘Hospitality is better in person’

There are three Taste of Belgium locations that remain in the city, including Rookwood, The Banks and Findlay Market.

Despite the company’s issues, Fletchet said Taste of Belgium will remain a place where longtime customers and visitors can dine in and enjoy the food and the experience.

“We’re in the hospitality business,” Flechet said, per the Journal-News. “And hospitality is better in person. We encourage guests, especially those who have not been in a while, to come see us, dine with us and support local restaurants the way they were meant to be experienced.”