Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Amid speculation about HWY 55 Burger & Fries' future in Live Oak, the company entered voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which appears to leave more questions than answers. In February of last year, the North Carolinabased chain opened its doors to Suwannee County, offering a variety of meals and shakes. According to its website, HWY 55 first began operation in 1991, where its open-grill design, dedication to the community it serves, and care when hand-crafting meals are always front and center. Over the years, the restaurant began operating chains throughout the southeastern United States. Then, in December, not even a year after opening its doors, the restaurant mysteriously closed. The franchisees or the main headquarters didn't offer a reason. It allowed for rumors on social media to stir about what happened. Riverbend News began to look more into why the doors suddenly closed, and answers may have come to light. A mix between a poor health inspection and the recent bankruptcy announcement now makes the future uncertain about HWY 55's future in Suwannee County. According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (FDBPR), an inspection was performed at the restaurant on Tuesday, Dec. 17. During the inspection, eight health code violations were discovered. Of the eight, one was found to be an intermediate violation, and another was marked high-priority. "The department cites violations of Florida's sanitation and safety laws, which are based on the standards of U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Food Code," the inspection report states. "High Priority violations are those which could contribute directly to a foodborne illness or injury and include items such as cooking, reheating, cooling and handwashing. Intermediate violations are those which, if not addressed, could lead to risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness or injury." The high-priority violation involved the restaurant's Division of Hotels and Restaurants (DHR) License. According to the report, the restaurant was allegedly operating with an expired DHR license, which expired in June 2024, over five months later. An intermediate violation noted that food-contact surfaces were soiled with food debris, which appeared to be of a mold or slime-like substance. The report also noted that paper and food debris contaminated one of the restaurant's can openers. The other violations mainly focused on the cleanliness of the restaurant. Multiple repeat violations included ice buildup in the walk-in freezer, standing water in the prep room, and the reach-in cooler and reach-in freezer gaskets being soiled with mold-like substances and food debris. Shortly after this inspection, the doors closed. As of press time, the status of the inspection remains delinquent. It should be stressed that this may not have been the definitive reasoning behind the restaurant’s closure. Then, on Tuesday, Dec. 31, The Little Mint, which does business as HWY 55 Burgers & Fries, announced the company would be entering a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition. The petition is to address liabilities. According to the press release, the purpose of addressing the liabilities is to position their restaurants for long-term success. The chain addressed that all franchisee locations are independently owned and open and serve customers as usual. "The Company's restaurants will remain open and operating as usual during the Chapter 11 process, continuing to provide their delicious handpattied burgers and cheesesteaks to their customers," the press release stated. Based on the information provided by The Little Mint, the franchised locations will not be affected. However, regarding the Live Oak location, it is unclear if the proceedings affected its operations since it is a franchised location. However, the timing has some residents speculating. Attempts to reach the store's owners and The Little Mint have not been responded to at press time. Jimmy Norris, the Suwannee County Economic Development Coordinator, shared that no reasoning has been given regarding the restaurant’s closure, but maintains that he hopes the restaurant will reopen. “We will support their efforts in any way that we can,” Norris said. Riverbend News will continue to monitor the situation and report any updates surrounding the sudden closure of HWY 55 Burgers & Fri