One of the Pittsburgh region’s largest minority-owned businesses has filed for bankruptcy protection at the same time that it faces a sexual harassment lawsuit involving a minor, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. Rice Enterprises, the operator of eight McDonald’s locations across the Pittsburgh region, filed the chapter 11 petition last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The documents signed by Rice Enterprises LLC’s sole member, Michele Rice, show that the bankruptcy was filed to preserve the company’s franchise agreements and leases. It is also to “restructure its debt obligations, provide breathing space, time to reduce litigation expenses and maximize the value of its estate.” The attorney representing Rice Enterprises, Kirk Burkley of the Pittsburgh law firm Bernstein-Burkley, P.C., said the bankruptcy filing will not affect the restaurants’ operations and all 435 jobs are safe.
