Dozens of Smokey Bones restaurants will be rebranded. Which locations are being impacted?

FAT Brands Inc., the global company behind dozens of iconic food chains like Fazoli’s and Fatburger, is shifting business models for Smokey Bones, a barbecue favorite with locations all across the country.

Here’s what you need to know.

Under the new company, underperforming locations will close, and half of all Smokey Bones will be transitioned into a whole new restaurant: Twin Peaks.

With over 2,300 franchise stores across 40 countries, FAT Brands purchased the barbecue bar and grill for $30 million from Sun Capital Partners private equity in 2023. Right at the start of 2025, FAT Brands created Twin Hospitality Group, the operating unit for its Twin Peaks and Smokey Bones brands. Proceeds from the IPO will help pay down debt at the parent company, which owns 95% of Twin Hospitality shares. In return, the sports bars will focus on opening more locations with the funding received.

Twin Peaks is a growing brand in the United States, filling a niche left by the gone-with-the-wind Hooters.

“Converting Smokey Bones locations to Twin Peaks provides a significant return on investment as altering a standing restaurant with similar square footage and real estate draw like Smokey Bones cuts out about a year and a half of construction time,” Ken Kuick, FAT Brands co-CEO and chief financial officer, said in a statement. “Twin Peaks is our fastest-growing concept, producing strong and growing average-unit volumes.”

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According to statistics from a 2024 earnings call, Twin Peak’s profits were four times higher in margins compared to the barbeque joint, causing a split in shifting the underperforming locations to more profits.

The company announced in March nine underperforming locations would close. Those locations have not been announced.

With nine restaurants closing, it leaves 45 stores available to be rebranded. Of the 45, 30 of the Smokey Bones restaurants will be rebranded over time, the company said in an initial statement.

Out of 54 locations, nine will close. The 45 will then be reduced again, as 30 of the remaining will be rebranded to Twin Peaks restaurants over time, the company said in an initial statement. The first Smokey Bones to transition was the location in Lakeland, Florida in late 2024 according to reporting from National Restaurant News.

In the end, Smokey Bones will downsize to just 15 locations left. At the brand’s highest point, Smokey Bones had over 100 locations nationwide. The company has yet to reveal which Smokey Bones locations will close or convert to the Twin Peaks brand.