News came yesterday that R.J. Gator’s, the South Florida-based chain, was closing all remaining locations. But that’s R.J. Gator’s Sports Bar & Grill, not R. J. Gator’s Florida Sea Grill & Bar, which is the designation of the R.J. Gator’s at Oviedo Mall.
According to Craig Green, director of operations at the Oviedo restaurant, he and eight other franchisees of the swamp-themed eatery broke away from the parent company about a year ago and were suing to obtain all rights to the name and logos. Chances of that going through are looking pretty good now.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and Newschannel 5, the closing comes after R.J. Gator’s was forced to file for bankruptcy protection. A note on the closed restaurants will tell patrons that the restaurant was forced to close its doors due to the economic downturn.
But according to Green, all is well with franchisees of the name. The other R.J. Gator’s still open include locations in the Villages, Sebring and Texas and North Carolina,
