Tex-Mex restaurant chain On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has closed all of its company-owned restaurants across the U.S.

There were 60 company-operated On The Border restaurants when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. Many were reopened after Houston-based Pappas Restaurants acquired the chain in May 2025 following an auction process.

"On The Border has already undergone a sweeping menu overhaul rooted in the same culinary standards that have defined the Pappas name across Texas for decades," the company said in a news release on May 1. "The team has enhanced food quality, strengthened operations and elevated the overall guest experience." The Pappas Restaurants group's portfolio includes Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Pappasito's Cantina, Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, Pappas Bar-B-Q, Pappas Burger and Yiayia's Greek Kitchen with more than 100 locations across the U.S.

However, on Friday, June 12, On The Border announced that it was closing all company-owned locations and is evaluating the future of the brand, according to a statement to The Oklahoman, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. The restaurant chain had one location in Oklahoma City and another in Tulsa.

“On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has made the difficult decision to move forward with a significant transition in its restaurant operations, which will include the closing of company-owned locations by the end of day Friday, June 12, 2026,” OTB Hospitality wrote in the statement emailed to The Oklahoman and subsequently shared with USA TODAY.

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In addition to the Oklahoma closings, restaurants in cities including Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and Wichita Falls, Texas, were reported closing by the USA TODAY Network.

Franchise locations in South Dakota, Florida, Nevada, California and South Korea will remain open as they operate independently, according to the statement.

On The Border also announced the closings of its company-owned locations on its website, with a note: "After many years of serving our communities, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina has closed its company-owned restaurant locations. This was an incredibly tough decision. We are deeply grateful to the guests and team members who supported On The Border for so many years. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey."

The company was founded in 1982 as On the Border South Texas Café, "with the goal of sharing bold, border-style food with its customers,” said OTB Holdings Chief Restructuring Officer Jonathan Tibus in the 2025 bankruptcy court filing.

The chain is among several major casual-dining chains, including Hooters, Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, to file for bankruptcy over the past two years.

On the Border closed more than 70 locations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2025. "On The Border has been weighed down in recent years by macroeconomic factors that have negatively impacted the Company. Casual dining restaurants are acutely impacted by consumer sensitivities to eating out versus staying in," Tibus said in the court records.

But many were reopened after Pappas Restaurants acquired the chain. The June 12 closings "follows a thorough evaluation of the business and was not made lightly," the company said in its statement.

"We are currently evaluating the future of the On The Border brand and exploring a range of strategic options," the company statement said. "Our immediate focus is on supporting our team members through this transition and ensuring an orderly and respectful closure."

Contributing: Ana Barboza, Dan Basso, Fernando Cervantes, Jenna Prestininzi and Ben Shapiro of the USA TODAY NetworkMike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at  mikegsnider  &  @mikegsnider.bsky.social  &  @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: On the Border closes all of its company-owned restaurants