If you’re a fan of pulled pork, smoky ribs, or just good BBQ in general, you might have seen folks online asking: Is Sonny’s BBQ going out of business? The answer is, honestly, more straightforward—and a lot less scary—than some rumors make it sound.
Let’s unpack what’s actually happening with Sonny’s BBQ, why some locations have shut down, and whether the chain itself is in any real danger.
How Sonny’s BBQ Is Doing Right Now
At this point, Sonny’s BBQ is still very much operating. The company hasn’t shuttered its entire chain, and it has no plans to close shop across the board anytime soon. You can still get a chopped pork special in dozens of places across the Southeast.
There have been news stories and plenty of social media posts about Sonny’s BBQ locations closing. But those closures are specific to individual restaurants, not the brand as a whole. So if you’re worried your local Sonny’s might be toast, you’ll want to check in on that location in particular, not assume all of them are disappearing.
Who Owns Sonny’s BBQ? A Quick History and Where It’s Headed
Sonny’s BBQ isn’t some nameless, faceless national chain. It’s actually still owned and operated by Bob Yarmuth, who bought the company back in 1991. Under Yarmuth’s ownership, Sonny’s kept its Southern BBQ roots but also made some big operational changes over the years.
Yarmuth is still CEO, and the company remains headquartered in Florida. The brand’s stated direction is to focus on steady growth—it’s not about wild expansion or chasing every food fad, but about being smart in a changing market. That involves changes behind the scenes, like tweaking franchise rules and supporting its operators.
So Why Are Some Sonny’s BBQ Restaurants Closing?
It’s true: over the last several years, a handful of Sonny’s BBQ locations have shut their doors for good. Almost all of these closures have been at the franchise level. Basically, the company lets local operators run most of its locations, and sometimes those individual locations just don’t make sense for the business anymore.
Here are a few examples people might have seen:
– The Fort Myers, Florida, Sonny’s closed permanently at the end of 2021.
– Oakwood, Florida, saw its location close back in 2019, even before the pandemic.
– Three Daytona Beach area Sonny’s BBQs all locked up for good on the same day in 2008.
– In recent years, Kentucky saw its Frankfort location close after just a few years in business.
– Sebring, Florida’s Sonny’s on U.S. 27 closed for good in October.
Usually, when you see a viral post telling you that Sonny’s BBQ is “closing,” it’s about one restaurant, not the company shutting down. If you look closer at the announcements, they mention the specific city or address.
The Numbers: How Big Is Sonny’s BBQ and Where Can You Find Them?
At its peak—think the late 1990s and early 2000s—Sonny’s BBQ had about 150 restaurants spread over nine states. That made it one of the biggest BBQ brands in the U.S. But after 50-plus years, the numbers today are a bit lower.
Right now, Sonny’s BBQ keeps “over 100 locations” active. The states include Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, and Louisiana. You can spot them most easily throughout Florida, where the brand first started back in 1968. But you’ll still find Sonny’s in smaller cities and along highway exits in the rest of the Southeast.
So have there been closures? Absolutely. But Sonny’s is still sending out platters of ribs, smoked turkey, and mac and cheese in well over 90 places. If you’re in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, or the Carolinas, it’s actually harder to avoid a Sonny’s than to find one.
What About the Business Side? Is Sonny’s BBQ Making Money?
If you ever wondered whether these restaurants are just barely hanging on, the numbers tell a pretty clear story. According to franchise disclosure documents and industry reports, the average Sonny’s BBQ unit makes somewhere between $3.04 million and $3.2 million in annual sales. That’s right in line with (or better than) other large barbecue brands.
The majority of the company’s stores are run by about 12 franchisees. And a couple of those operators handle a huge chunk of the system—one of them with private equity backing runs roughly 30 of the total units. That means there’s both professional management and financial support on the ground, ensuring that most Sonny’s BBQs can weather business ups and downs.
Sure, every restaurant faces challenges—everything from rising food costs to more competition for your dinner budget. But at the average sales range reported, most Sonny’s BBQ restaurants are way above survival mode.
Why Sonny’s BBQ Is Shrinking, Then Growing Again
Many folks see a restaurant close and assume it means the entire company is circling the drain. In reality, Sonny’s BBQ has taken a strategic approach: trimming down to its strongest locations before investing in new ones.
In recent years, the company reduced its total number of stores to about 90, focusing on the locations doing the best numbers. Once they got that stable, Sonny’s started talking openly about returning to franchise growth. In plain English, they wanted to build back up—but smarter this time.
They’ve made it clear they’re recruiting new franchisees, with clear financial requirements for opening fresh locations in their core region. They’re not chasing a national expansion or heading to the west coast. Instead, the brand plans to keep doubling down on the Southeast—the areas where barbecue still draws a crowd every week.
This kind of approach isn’t just a Sonny’s thing. Other franchise brands, from fast food to pizza chains, have used similar tactics to clean up their networks, refocus, and then expand where they already have a strong customer base. Sonny’s is just being very up-front about it.
Wondering If Your Local Sonny’s BBQ Is Open? Here’s What to Do
If you’ve heard whispers about a closing, or if you show up at your usual location and the parking lot is empty, don’t panic about the whole chain shutting down. Individual stores close sometimes, and sometimes they even reopen in a new spot.
The easiest way to know what’s up is to check the official Sonny’s BBQ website. There’s a locations page that lets you search by city or ZIP code, showing every open unit, their contact info, and updated hours. It’s the most reliable source for what’s actually open or shuttered.
Sometimes, local news outlets or social media accounts will announce “Sonny’s is closing…” but if you read further, it nearly always refers to one address. Corporate will almost always announce bigger changes more formally, and there’s been no such announcement.
As always, the quickest way to get the facts is to check the company’s official channels, or even just call the location. If you’re trying to choose where to eat in a different city, you can use public business directories like Quick Business Point alongside the company site to confirm what’s running or not.
Where Sonny’s BBQ Stands in 2024 (and What to Expect Next)
So, after all these closures and rumors, what’s the real status of Sonny’s BBQ? In plain language: it’s still here and still planning to grow. The chain has closed some stores that weren’t performing well, but that’s been a methodical, planned process, not a sign of collapse.
Financially, Sonny’s BBQ continues to report strong annual sales, especially among its remaining locations. Franchise owners are still investing, and the corporate office is out recruiting new partners for more Southeast locations.
If you’re a regular, you might notice your local Sonny’s BBQ making small upgrades or rolling out updated menus. That’s part of staying relevant and profitable in today’s competitive world. Some cities might lose a location, but others are gaining new ones, and there’s a clear focus on keeping the brand healthy.
So no, Sonny’s BBQ is not going out of business. The best way to keep your favorite BBQ joint around? Keep showing up—order extra garlic bread, bring your family, and let the staff know you appreciate them. After all, no chain survives for half a century unless real people keep coming back, and that’s the secret sauce that matters most.
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