Comfort food restaurant on University Drive has closed. For now, or for good?
A longtime comfort food hub near Coral Springs Charter school and the city’s public library may be closed permanently.
I Heart Mac & Cheese, a fast-casual New American establishment, has closed its Coral Springs location on University Drive after almost a decade in business.
A spokesperson for ABC Franchise Group told the Coral Springs News on Friday, July 10, that the location would be shuttered for two weeks because its manager is unavailable.
The business’ phone had also been disconnected or changed as of July 10.
The restaurant chain was established by chef Michael Blum and businessman Steve Giordanella in 2016, and quickly expanded to three dozen locations across the United States.
But, the growth didn’t last. The company has faced criticism from consumers and franchisees, resulting in multiple state-backed lawsuits against the company and its top staff, including Blum and Giordanella.
That included the Indiana Securities Commissioner’s May 22 finding that Giordanella and others participated in franchise fraud against investors in the state, and ordered the defendants to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution.
Locations remain open in Washington, California, Illinois and Colorado, with a food truck expansion planned in Colorado Springs, but most of the company’s locations have shuttered in the past six years.
Giordanella’s latest venture, Pilar Coffee Bar, is expected to open in Coral Springs’ Cornerstone development this year.
