Tender Greens Restaurant & Parent Company File For Bankruptcy

July 19, 2024

Southern California-based Tender Greens restaurants, which has four locations around San Diego, along with its parent company, have both filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Tender Greens was founded in 2006 in Culver City, CA, by chefs Erik Oberholtzer, David Dressler, and Matt Lyman, The health-focused restaurant quickly gained popularity for its farm-to-table approach and commitment to sustainability. The restaurant chain focuses on serving fresh, locally sourced ingredients, offering a variety of salads, sandwiches, and grilled dishes. There are currently 24 Tender Greens locations around California, including branches in San Diego's Liberty Station, UTC, Mission Valley and Downtown. 

Tender Greens, and its parent company, One Table Restaurant Brands, which is also parent company to fast-casual Mexican chain Tocaya, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 17 and July 18, respectively. Bankruptcy documents reveal that Los Angeles-based One Table Restaurant Brands holds estimated liabilities of $10 million to $50 million, with assets under $50,000. The company is considering a sale through an auction or stalking horse bidder. The debtors aim to consolidate these bankruptcy filings into one Chapter 11 case and seek emergency funding to continue operations during the bankruptcy process.

These filings, dated July 17 and July 18, were made by Harald Herrman, the former Darden Restaurants executive and Mendocino Farms CEO, who established One Table Restaurant Brands in August 2021 following the merger of the two Los Angeles-based fast-casual brands. The company was supported by Alliance Consumer Growth and Union Square Hospitality Group, the latter acquiring a significant minority stake in Tender Greens in 2015. One Table Restaurant Brands is owned by TYP Restaurant Group (47.5%), New Tocaya Holdings, LLC (47.5%), and Big Table Brands Management, LLC (5%).

One Table Restaurant Brands joins several other restaurant companies declaring bankruptcy in 2024, including Red Lobster, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in May, San Diego-based Rubio’s Coastal Grill, and Arby’s Miracle Restaurant Group. There is currently no word on what will happen to the Tender Greens locations in San Diego or the Tocaya Modern Mexican outpost sited in One Paseo in Del Mar.