A major Applebee’s franchisee, which recently closed 13 locations as part of its bankruptcy reorganization, is planning another round of shutdowns, with at least six more locations expected to go out of business by month’s end, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy. RMH Franchise Holdings Inc., the second-biggest franchisee of Applebee’s restaurants, also says it “will likely need to close certain additional restaurant locations” beyond those six depending on the outcome of lease negotiations. After closing the six restaurants, RMH will own about 140 Applebee’s locations, all in the U.S. RMH revealed the latest closures in a filing yesterday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., seeking permission to make severance payments to workers losing their jobs. RMH and related companies sought protection from creditors in early May through a chapter 11 petition. The Atlanta-based company later that month asked for the court’s permission to make severance payments to workers affected by the first round of closures.
