A Bar Louie restaurant at Brookfield Square in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Restaurant chain Bar Louie, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March, has joined the growing stable of restaurants owned by Sun Holdings.

The Dallas-headquartered Sun Holdings, which acquired Uncle Julio's in January 2025, announced on Oct. 7 it had also acquired Bar Louie, which has 39 restaurant and cocktail bar locations across the United States.

Founded in 1991 in Chicago, Illinois, Bar Louie filed for bankruptcy in March; at the time, it had 31 company-owned locations and 17 franchised locations across 19 states. The company had previously filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and was purchased by BLH TopCo as part of that process.

The bankruptcies of the restaurant chain, which had 130 restaurants in 2018, according to Nation's Restaurant News, come as many popular restaurant brands have filed for Chapter 11, including Razzoo’s Cajun Cafe earlier this month. Other recent bankruptcy filings include Bravo Brio Restaurants LLC, which operates 25 Brio Italian Grille restaurants and 23 Bravo Italian Kitchen restaurants, as well as Red Lobster, Tijuana Flats, TGI Fridays and Hooters.

What restaurants does Sun Holdings operate?

The acquisition grows Sun Holdings' already-expansive collection of restaurants, which includes more than 1,800 dining establishments, including Applebee’s, Arby's, Burger King, Freebirds World Burrito, Golden Corral, IHOP, McAlister’s, Papa John’s, Popeye’s, and Taco Bueno locations in 27 states, according to its website.

“This acquisition marks an exciting step forward in our growth strategy,” said Sun Holdings President and CEO Guillermo Perales in a statement on the company's website. “Bar Louie’s signature martinis and distinctive brand make it a strong addition to our casual dining portfolio.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, Nation’s Restaurant News reported.

Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bar Louie restaurant chain acquired by owner of Burger King, Popeyes franchises

Reporting by Mike Snider, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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