Lemonade lists 23 units on its website, but it’s not clear whether any are still open. | Photo: Shutterstock.
It appears the fast-casual Lemonade concept is in the process of shuttering all of its restaurants.
The move is reportedly part of a transition of the brand into a ghost kitchen operated out of sister brand Mimi’s Café, according to SFGate, which said Lemonade no longer operates any units in Northern California.
The chain lists 23 locations on its website, mostly in Southern California, but many of those listed have already been permanently closed, including Studio City, Pasadena and La Jolla.
Most are listed as open for catering. Only one location, in Irvine, California, was listed as open for walk-in business on Tuesday.
The company did not immediately respond to attempts to ask for more information.
Lemonade was founded by chef Alan Jackson in 2008 in Los Angeles with what was then a unique model once dubbed the more-healthful “modern cafeteria.” Guests could select among an array of hot dishes and vegetable-rich cold salads to build a meal as they walked the line.
The chain soon won investments from private-equity firm KKR and Horowitz Group. It was later acquired by the Los Angeles-based firm Butterfly Equity, which merged Lemonade with the fast-casual Modern Market concept under Modern Restaurant Concepts. Butterfly later added Qdoba into the mix.
But that didn’t last long.
Last year, Modern Market was acquired by franchisee Thrive Restaurant Group, and Lemonade was sold to Elite Restaurant Group, which also owns a number of other restaurant brands, including MOD Pizza and, at least at one point, Mimi’s Café, which on social media is posting as Mimi’s Bistro Bakery.
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