Pihakis Restaurant Group Faces $10M Lawsuits, Closures

0:00It's April 29th. Welcome to Birmingham News Today, powered by AI. Birmingham's Pihakis Restaurant Group is hitting hard times, facing nearly $10 million in lawsuits and leans. The company, a big name and local dining, has shut down as many as 12 spots in the last two-and-a-half weeks, some for good. That's on top of unpaid bills pushing the total debt to $9.6 million. Nick Pihakis built this empire since the mid-80s, running brands like Rodney Scott BBQ across four states, hero diners, little donkey, and others. Their latest project, Valley Post with four restaurants, just closed earlier this week after opening late last year. The fallout's shaking up the scene, with loyal fans and staff left wondering what's next for these popular joints. Birmingham's food world loses icons like Magnolia Point and Sido in Atlanta, hitting the vibe hard for diners who packed those places. Legal moves piled up fast. A meat supplier sued Monday for almost $394,000 across 19 restaurants.

1:04Then Robertson Banking hit them Tuesday for at least $625,000 on a loan for the now-closed Tasty Town. Developer Michael Moren slapped leans last week for over $340,000 in back-rent, then ramped up with $7.1 million. Against Valley Post's goods and another $1.07 million on Birmingham properties. PRGs fighting through these toughest calls, but the pressures mounting as closures continue.