A restaurant chain that once had 40 stores across the U.S. has filed for bankruptcy and has slashed their number of stores down to just 16 locations.

Abuelo’s — a Mexican eatery that has been around for 36 years and is owned by Food Concepts International — quietly made a filing in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court located in the Northern District of Texas earlier in September. The chain cites sales declines, rising costs, staffing challenges and changing consumer preferences.

It also listed both debts and liabilities of between $10 million and $50 million.

Meanwhile, Food Concepts International also filed for bankruptcy in early September, and the two companies have asked the court to combine their cases.

“This decision is a part of a strategic reconstructing process to strengthen our long-t

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