WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Boston Market locations throughout South Florida are closed as the Colorado-based corporation faces a federal lawsuit, evictions and claims that employees haven't been paid.
According to a lawsuit filed earlier this year in U.S. District Court in Illinois, US Foods claims Boston Market owes more than $11 million in unpaid bills.
The lawsuit claims Boston Market "began to fall significantly behind in its payment obligations to US Foods" beginning in 2022 and secured a promissory note-based payment schedule from the struggling restaurant chain. However, US Foods claims Boston Market still failed to keep up with the payments.
Now, the last of the eight locations in Palm Beach County has shuttered amid notices of eviction for failure to pay rent.
An eviction notice could be seen last week on the door of the Boston Market at the corner of Military Trail and Boynton Beach Boulevard near Boynton Beach. That Boston Market shares a building with Einstein Bros. Bagels, which is still open.
The U.S. Department of Labor is also investigating Boston Market amid various complaints of late and unpaid wages.
Lale West, who worked as a general manager at a Boston Market west of Boca Raton, told the South Florida SunSentinel that she was laid off when her store closed in August. She told the newspaper that employees who worked there have been trying to get the company to pay them for their last two months of work.
Attempts by WPTV to contact someone from Boston Market's corporate headquarters were unsuccessful.