{"id":2907,"date":"2026-06-21T09:04:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T09:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2907"},"modified":"2026-06-21T09:04:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T09:04:08","slug":"flip-the-bird-closes-another-location","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2907","title":{"rendered":"Flip The Bird closes another location"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Consumers continue to show a strong demand for chicken, but for independent restaurant brands, competing in one of the industry&#8217;s fastest-growing categories has become increasingly difficult. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2905\">Microsoft Office will soon stop working on some older Apple devices<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Major chains, including Chick-fil-A, Popeyes, McDonald&#8217;s, and Raising Cane&#8217;s, have heavily invested in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/popular-chicken-chain-shares-massive-expansion-plan\">fried chicken sandwich<\/a> market over the past several years, increasing competition across the segment.<\/p>\n<p>That demand shows little sign of slowing. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.circana.com\/post\/order-up-how-shifting-lifestyles-are-shaping-foodservice-trends\">Circana<\/a>, fried chicken sandwich consumption at U.S. restaurants rose 19% between 2019 and 2024 and is projected to continue growing through 2028, outperforming other menu subcategories.<\/p>\n<p>However, for independent operators, growth has become more difficult to sustain. Higher food and labor costs, rising occupancy expenses, and increased competition have added pressure to restaurant expansion and long-term profitability.<\/p>\n<p>One company navigating those challenges is Flip The Bird, a comfort-food <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">restaurant chain<\/a> founded in 2019 in Beverly, Massachusetts. Known for its made-to-order fried <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/chick-fil-a-quietly-rolls-out-six-new-sandwiches-for-2026\">chicken sandwiches<\/a> and house sauces, the brand expanded to multiple locations relatively quickly.<\/p>\n<p> But despite that growth, the chain is now reducing its footprint after revealing another restaurant closure.<\/p>\n<p>Flip The Bird confirmed it will permanently close its Swampscott Mall location at <a href=\"https:\/\/flipthebirdfriedchicken.com\/store\/swampscott-mall\/\">450 Paradise Rd<\/a> in Swampscott, Massachusetts, at the end of business on June 21. <\/p>\n<p>In a statement shared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/flipthebirdfriedchicken\/posts\/1611690234295246?ref=embed_post\">Facebook<\/a>, the company said the decision reflects broader operational pressures affecting much of the restaurant industry in recent years.<\/p>\n<p>According to the company, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/p-terrys-burger-chain-closure-austin-10-years\">construction projects<\/a>, rising labor and occupancy costs, higher food prices, and broader operating expenses made it more difficult to sustain growth while maintaining the quality and service customers expect.<\/p>\n<p>Flip The Bird explored relocation opportunities around the Swampscott area but was unable to find a site that aligned with its standards and future plans.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By focusing our resources and strengthening our core business, we can build a more sustainable foundation for the future, continue investing in our amazing team, and better serve you,&#8221; the company said in its statement.<\/p>\n<p>The chain added that while closing the location was not the outcome it hoped for, leadership believes consolidating operations now will support long-term stability in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/beloved-ice-cream-chain-closes-longtime-location-after-40-years-dairy-queen-arizona\">challenging operating environment<\/a> for independent businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Flip The Bird emphasized that the impacted workers will be transferred to nearby stores and remain employed.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2903\">Veteran analyst sets jaw-dropping SpaceX stock price target<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Despite the closure, the company will continue to operate its remaining locations and encourages customers to visit its nearby restaurants after the Swampscott store shuts down.<\/p>\n<p>Remaining nearby locations include:<\/p>\n<p>The latest closure follows the company&#8217;s September 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo?fbid=1346945764103029&amp;set=a.454761629988118\">shutdown of its Woburn location<\/a> and leaves Flip The Bird operating three remaining restaurants in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/news-photo\/buffalo-fried-chicken-sandwich-with-house-cut-fries-at-news-photo\/1212829416\">Laura Chase de Formigny for The Washington Post via Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Flip The Bird&#8217;s decision reflects broader conditions affecting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/after-bankruptcy-iconic-seafood-chain-closes-flagship-restaurant-red-lobster-times-square\">restaurant operators<\/a> nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>Across the industry, operators continue to manage elevated costs tied to food, labor, occupancy, financing, and day-to-day operations, while consumers remain more selective with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/the-biggest-growth-opportunity-for-coffee-chains-isnt-coffee-starbucks-dunkin-luckin\">discretionary spending<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s some of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/author\/fernanda-tronco\">my previous coverage<\/a> on restaurant closures:<\/p>\n<p>Data from the <a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/research\/inflation\/\">National Restaurant Association<\/a> show food and labor costs have increased by about 35% over the past five years, adding sustained pressure on restaurant margins.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/research\/restaurant-economic-insights\/economic-indicators\/same-store-sales-and-customer-traffic\/\">National Restaurant Association<\/a> also found that approximately 60% of restaurant operators reported lower customer traffic in December 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Industry analysts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpmorganchase.com\/institute\/all-topics\/business-growth-and-entrepreneurship\/small-businesses-in-times-of-distress\">JPMorgan Chase<\/a> noted that smaller businesses are often more vulnerable during periods of economic uncertainty due to tighter margins and more limited flexibility.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Historically, the median life expectancy for small businesses has hovered around five years,&#8221; analysts said.<\/p>\n<p>Data also illustrate the difficulty of sustaining restaurant operations long term. According to the U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/dictionary\/b\/bureau-of-labor-statistics-bls\">Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, around 17% of new restaurants close within their first year, and nearly half don&#8217;t survive beyond five years.<\/p>\n<p>According to industry analysts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hancockwhitney.com\/insights\/6-reasons-why-small-businesses-fail\">Hancock Whitney<\/a>, these are some of the major factors faced by the independent restaurant industry:<\/p>\n<p>As demand for chicken remains high and competition intensifies, independent chains like Flip The Bird continue to face the challenge of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/buffalo-wild-wings-closes-restaurants-across-the-u-s-in-2026\">balancing growth<\/a> with long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestreet.com\/restaurants\/after-bankruptcy-iconic-seafood-chain-closes-flagship-restaurant-red-lobster-times-square\">Related: After bankruptcy, iconic seafood chain closes flagship restaurant<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><i>The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=2901\">Sharon Osbourne Misses Ozzy Statue Debut Due to \u2018Unexpected&#8217; Hospitalization<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"summary gray\">This story was originally published <span class=\"inline-block\">June 20, 2026 at 3:17 PM<span>.<\/span><\/span><!-- --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Consumers continue to show a strong demand for chicken, but for independent restaurant brands, competing in one of the industry&#39;s fastest-growing categories has become increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2906,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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