The Smokey Bones in Springfield closed abruptly Tuesday, although the restaurant may not stay shuttered for long.
A sign posted on the door at 2660 S. Dirksen Parkway reads: “This location is permanently closed. Smokey Bones has ceased operations at all locations. We thank you for all the years of letting us serve you.”
However, a woman who answered the phone Tuesday afternoon responded to a question about the closure by saying, “We may be back open on Thursday. There’s a transition going on and we’re working through that.”
Springfield was the barbecue restaurant chain’s last location in Illinois following the January closure of the Rockford location. By the beginning of this year, there were only 26 Smokey Bones locations remaining nationwide.
The parent company, Fat Brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late January. In addition to Smokey Bones, Fat Brands operates restaurant chains such as Fazoli’s, Johnny Rockets, Ponderosa Steakhouse, and Fatburger. Fat Brands is majority owner of the subsidiary Twin Hospitality Group, which was formed specifically to run the Twin Peaks sports lodges and Smokey Bones restaurants. Twin Hospitality also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In a statement released following the Jan. 26 bankruptcy filing, Twin Hospitality said it expected its restaurants to remain open and operating as usual throughout the Chapter 11 process. Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows companies to restructure their debts while continuing to operate.
Fat Brands acquired Smokey Bones in 2023 and subsequently spun it off into Twin Hospitality in January 2025. Twin Hospitality then announced plans to convert some of the Smokey Bones restaurants into Twin Peaks lodges. The restaurants are sports bars featuring waitresses, known as Twin Peaks Girls, who wear revealing uniforms.
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