Nearly a week after a popular chain of North Shore bakeries abruptly closed its doors, federal court documents revealed that the owners filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy months ago.
The documents, which were filed in May, show that the owners of D'Amici's Bakery owed creditors nearly $1 million.
On Monday, several employees and longtime customers found the doors locked at the chain’s locations in Lynn, Reading and Melrose.
"It's really kind of sad," longtime customer Kathi Kougias said. "I'm very surprised at this."
Shortly afterward, the owners released a statement, explaining that they ran into some unexpected business problems. In the statement, they also apologized to their employees and customers.
The owners purchased the chain from its original owners in 2017. The business launched in 1993.
The owners, whose bankruptcy case is still pending in federal court, couldn’t be reached for comment.