Rodney Scott's BBQ Charleston temporarily closes amid Pihakis Group shutdowns

13 articles · Updated · ABC NEWS 4 · May 3

The King Street restaurant closed on Sunday, joining sites in Atlanta, Nashville, Homewood, Trussville and Valley Post as Pihakis faces more than $13 million in lawsuits and liens.
The Birmingham-based owner had temporarily shuttered 16 locations by April 30, including three Rodney Scott's restaurants in Alabama and nine Hero cafes across Alabama and Georgia.
The Charleston closure was later described as indefinite, and a separate April 27 lawsuit alleges Rodney Scott's BBQ and related entities defaulted on a $350,000 loan.

With nearly $13 million in lawsuits and liens, can the Pihakis Restaurant Group survive, or is this the end for its famous BBQ empire?

Could the use of merchant cash advances and personal guarantees doom even successful restaurants like Rodney Scott’s BBQ to sudden collapse?