Pihakis Restaurant Group Faces Closures, Lawsuits

0:00It's April 28th. This is Birmingham News today, driven by AI. Pihaki's restaurant group, the Birmingham powerhouse behind spots like Ronnie Scott's BBQ and Hero Diner just shut her 12 locations across Alabama and Georgia over the past two weeks. They're bringing in consultants to tackle what they call the hardest decisions yet with some spots closing for good while others pause temporarily. The company says their plan is to streamline everything and build back stronger for the long run. But whispers from last week hint that even temp shutdowns could turn permanent if things don't turn around quick. Loyal eaters are reeling from the sudden hits to their go-to favorites, shaking up the local scene that PRG helped define for years. Fans from Trustville to Atlanta are left hunting for new bites. On top of closures, a fresh lawsuit dropped Monday from Evans Meets, chasing $394,238 and 73 cents in unpaid bills from eight hero diners, three little donkeys, and more.

1:02Meanwhile, landlord Michael Moron filed leans for over $340,000 in back rent on key properties. We'll see a PRG pulls through these storms with a tighter lineup, but right now places like Valley Post, Sido and Atlanta and Tasty Town stay dark, as the group fights to stabilize.