The Smokey Bones restaurant at 1510 W. New Haven Ave. in Melbourne shut down permanently on Tuesday, April 28, according to updated hours on its website and unresponsive phone lines. The closure follows a nationwide restructuring effort by the chain’s parent company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2025. The restaurant, which had operated for over a decade near Melbourne Square Mall, is one of at least 15 locations identified by Twin Hospitality Group Inc. as underperforming sites slated for closure. Social media posts from Smokey Bones on April 28 confirmed multiple outlet closures across the country. FAT Brands purchased Smokey Bones as a 60-location chain in 2023 before spinning it off into Twin Hospitality in January 2025. The new entity announced plans last September to convert 19 Smokey Bones locations into Twin Peaks restaurants while closing 15 others that failed to meet performance targets. Bankruptcy filings by both FAT Brands and Twin Hospitality in January 2025 marked a turning point for the chain, which had previously announced plans to overhaul its operating strategy in late 2024. Local diners who visited the Melbourne location in recent weeks reported no advance notice of the closure, which came despite the restaurant’s long-standing presence in the community. The shutdown adds to growing concerns about the future of the chain as it navigates debt restructuring. No immediate plans for re-opening or alternative uses for the site have been announced.