The Parent of Kuma’s Corner Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Kumas Holdings, the parent company behind Kuma’s Corner, the mini-chain of restaurants with burgers named after metal and punk bands, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing was made Tuesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Illinois.

The burger chain, founded 19 years ago in Avondale, had expanded in locations like Fulton Market, suburban Schaumburg’s Woodfield Village Green, and Indianapolis. All four locations remain open.

“We are not going anywhere,” Kuma’s president and director of operations Ron Cain tells Eater. Ron Cain adds that each restaurant represents a separate legal entity and is not part of the holding company and the filing.

Mike Cain founded Kuma’s in 2005 and his brother, Ron, took over the restaurant in 2014. Ron Cain says COVID policies brought the company down and led to closures in Denver and suburban Vernon Hills in 2022. Kumas Holdings received a $58,000 Payroll Protection Plan loan that was forgiven in 2021, according to federal records and the court filing. The filing mentions an $846,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration. Kumas Holdings was listed with $3.5 million in total liabilities on the bankruptcy filing.

Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Chapter 11 is a reorganization, and Ron Cain expects the company to emerge healthy. Kuma’s built its brand on the popularity of craft beer and metal as competing festivals, like 3 Floyd’s Dark Lord Day — melded beer and music. However, as the craft beer scene has dwindled, Kuma’s has also toned it down in recent years. Once known for brash music and ridiculously large burgers, Kuma’s today is a little bit more buttoned up, dialing down the music to fit into areas like Fulton Market, where customers are more comfortable with baseball caps and pop music. At a Lakeview location that closed six years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for customers to ask staff to turn down the music. At the time, staff members would scoff, but while the musical genres remained the same, the volume levels decreased.

Of course, the burgers — thick-cut, messy affairs in a world where thin smash burgers have become trendy — are the major draw. Some, like the Led Zeppelin (with bacon, barbecue pulled pork, cheddar, and pickles), have become classics. But Kuma’s is no stranger to controversy. In 2013, a burger special paid homage to a Swedish band, Ghost, with a burger topped with a communion wafer. That outraged a segment of the Catholic community; it even earned a write-up in Time.

Ron Cain is hopeful that the existing restaurants will remain viable. He even mentioned a desire to return Kuma’s to its roots and engage with the community by holding fundraisers and events. Ron Cain mentions an upcoming burger of the month supporting an 11-year-old girl badly injured by bullies. Proceeds would benefit an online campaign to help pay for medical bills As 2025 represents the restaurant’s 20th anniversary, there’s even talk of bringing back Kuma’s Fest.

There are various types of bankruptcy. For example, the parent of corner store chain Foxtrot filed for Chapter 7 — which is liquidation. Kumas Holdings filed for Chapter 11, which is reorganization. That allows Kumas to continue operating while giving the business a chance to repay creditors over time.

“We are moving forward and hoping to position ourselves to a stronger spot,” Ron Cain says.