JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Hawkers Asian Street Food, which has two Jacksonville locations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Monday, according to court documents.
The very popular and expanding restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy "voluntarily" in order to maintain operational control of the company and protect itself from an "overreaching lender," the company's attorney, Scott Shuker, said.
Hawkers opened its first location in 2011 in Orlando. It has since expanded to 15 locations, including one in Neptune Beach and Jacksonville's Riverside. The company is owned and operated by four friends whose mission was to establish a "memorable dining experience built on generations-old recipes and hand-picked street foods from across Asia."
According to Shuker, Hawkers Holdings, LLC entered into a "debt capital agreement" in early 2023 in an effort to grow the brand nationally. It currently has restaurants in seven states, including Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina.
Shuker made note that all 15 Hawkers locations remain open and operational and is expecting the company to continue its growth. However, he said over the last 60 days, it "became clear that the lender's intentions are to gain control of the company, despite Hawkers having never missed a payment."
Shuker says the Chapter 11 filing will allow the restaurant to continue normal operations while company control is "re-stabilized."
The statement concludes with the following message:
"While Hawkers hopes to negotiate a favorable outcome with said lender, the future of the company remains bright, and the team looks forward to welcoming guests for their Hawkers favorites for decades to come."