There is still some time left to hold onto some nostalgia from your childhood, it’s just getting increasingly harder and harder to attain.
Loading up the family and taking them to a Boston Market in America is closing in on being dang near impossible. Last time we ran a check on their locations, in March of 2024, there were 27 remaining across America.
The latest update of Boston Market locations now has the number standing at 16 left. The fast-casual chain has now closed 95 percent of its locations in America since 2022.
At its peak, Boston Market was operating more than 1,200 locations in America and was thriving.
The brand formed in the mid-’80s when the TV dinner craze was in full effect, and Boston Market seemed like a place to get a similar fast dinner for yourself and family, but a little fresher than something from the microwave.
It appeared to be welcome, as the brand kept expanding. It was hard to go to any city and not find a location where you could walk in and get fresh rotisserie chicken, some mashed potatoes, and if your mom let you, a slice of meatloaf, too.
Here is where it gets extra interesting. On their website, there is a section called “Franchising,” but when you click it, you get this message:
Boston Market is not currently offering franchise opportunities to own and operate Boston Market restaurant units within the United States. However, we may develop a franchise program in the future and begin offering franchise agreements at that time.
Boston Market was having some minor issues before the pandemic, as far as revenue, but it seems as if the COVID-19 pandemic affected the brand even worse than others.
How long can they hold on?
Of all of the side hustles country artists could partake in, opening a bar or restaurant is the most fitting — and very common. After all, many of these stars got their start on a barstool, tip jar nearby, playing their music for anyone who would listen.
These places feel like home for many of these singers. Over the years, several artists have gotten into the bar or restaurant game, and for a select few, brands have turned into franchises with several locations and/or concepts — we’re looking at you, Jimmy Buffett!
Let’s take a look at the country star food and entertainment venues that have opened over the years.
Gallery Credit: Jess
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak