Pihakis Group Shuts Down 12 Birmingham Spots, Employees Hit Hard

0:00It's April 29th. You're listening to Birmingham News today, AI-powered local news. I'm Cory with the story. Piyaki's restaurant group just hit Birmingham hard, shutting down 12 spots in two weeks flat. It kicked off with Tasty Town, that downtown Greek joint from 2022, closing abruptly after Sunday service. Then hero Diner and Hoover posted a sign saying, it's done as of April 12th, 2026, pointing folks to their homewood spot. The group, which grew from Jim and Nick's bar BQ, back in 1985, now faces leans and lawsuits, stacking up to at least 13 million, $700,000. Wispers of unpaid bills and shaky finances had been floating around management for a bit. Employees got blindsided, no real heads up or reasons given, just unemployment forms. Folks like former bar manager Ashley Teague and bartender Jim Fahey talked about the shock, tears, and real pain for single parents and hard working. Staff losing their main income, steady business turned into set-in-job hunts.

1:03The company put out a statement saying they're evaluating everything with consultants, might pause some locations temporarily, but some pauses could. Stick for good. They stress honoring staff and communities amid the changes. Meanwhile, survivors like Rodney Scott's BBQ, hero Diner and homewood, little donkey, Magnolia Point, Joyland and Luca Legato are still slinging food, and begging for support to keep the lights on in tough times.