Three local locations of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill closed suddenly on Tuesday.
Employees from the barbecue chain’s restaurants in Hempfield, Cranberry and Frazer (within The Village at Pittsburgh Mills shopping center) told TribLive they were informed of the closures without notice on Tuesday morning. The chain’s official website also shows the locations as closed.
The three restaurants were the last Pittsburgh-area locations following the closure of Smokey Bones in Robinson in January.
FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., the Beverly Hills, Calif.,-based owner of Smokey Bones, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection later that month. In a news release, the company stated its portfolio of 18 restaurant concepts, which also include Fatburger and Johnny Rockets, “are expected to remain operating as usual during the chapter 11 process, and will continue to provide their signature dining experiences.”
FAT Brands purchased Smokey Bones for $30 million in September 2023. A series of major closures began in 2025, when the chain was spun off into Twin Hospitality Group, a subsidiary created by FAT Brands to oversee both Smokey Bones and its Twin Peaks sports bars.
According to a USA Today report, dozens of Smokey Bones locations were converted into Twin Peaks and 9 permanently closed. In January, the Robinson restaurant was one of 14 locations closed without notice, shrinking the chain to approximately 11 sites.
At its peak, Smokey Bones, known for its hickory-smoked barbecue, operated as many as 130 restaurants nationwide. The chain was founded in 1999 by Darden Restaurants in Orlando, Fla.
Representatives of FAT Brands did not immediately return requests for comment on Tuesday.