Restaurant bankruptcies rise in France, shrinking the number of restaurants

In 2021, Kailesh Jhundoo, known as “Roland,” opened Les Mascareignes with a simple idea. He wanted to introduce Parisians to the flavors of his native Mauritius, as well as those of La Réunion and Rodrigues islands. At his Creole restaurant, the menu featured sausage rougail, fish curry and bonbons piments – spiced pea fritters infused with turmeric. Nearly everything was homemade. Four years later, the bill was far steeper: €180,000 in debt, the result of soaring costs and declining customer numbers. The restaurant was declared insolvent in December 2025.

The summer heatwaves further undermined an already struggling business. “There were hardly any people on the terrace, and people didn’t feel like eating – let alone hot, en sauce dishes,” Jhundoo recalled. On July 28, the Paris commercial court ordered the restaurant’s liquidation. All four employees were laid off. “It was panic,” said the 46-year-old father of three….Restaurant bankruptcies have been multiplying across France for several months.

“Twenty-five establishments close every day,” says Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx. By contrast, only about 20 establishments open per day, fewer and fewer of which make meals from scratch.

In the U.S. the number of restaurants in the U.S. is stable or rising slightly, at more than 750,000. But the number of independent operators is falling, while major chains are mostly expanding.

A U.S. restaurant chain is using robots to speed up service.

Another U.S. restaurant chain announced a massive expansion, but then filed for bankruptcy months later.

Robot waiters are spreading in restaurants in Korea.

The iconic American restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy in 2024.