Upscale burger chain files Chapter 7 bankruptcy

People come to Nashville with a dream. Usually, that's a dream to make it as a country singer or musician, but the city attracts all types of dreamers.

Chris Payne, a restaurateur who racked up experience at Fox Restaurant Concepts, A. Marshall Hospitality and more dreamed of launching a higher-end hamburger chain.

His effort to do that, when it began back in 2023, was celebrated by

“Chef Chris Payne's career in the restaurant industry is a testament to the power of passion, adaptability, and the willingness to embrace opportunities as they arise. Over the past 24 years, Payne has transformed himself from a kinesiology student into a seasoned restaurateur known for his ability to scale restaurant businesses successfully,” Brainz Magazine reported.

Payne was a major part of building out the Zoe's Kitchen concept.

“From the beginning, Payne was an integral part of the team that led the expansion of Zoe’s Kitchen and helped develop multiple locations across the United States before selling the brand in 2007. The fast-casual concept quickly gained popularity for its fresh, healthy offerings and efficient service,” the magazine shared.

He spun that success into working on developing True Food Kitchen, a thriving chain, as well as working on other new concepts.

Burger + Grain Bankruptcy: Key points

Founded by Chris Payne in 2023, a seasoned restaurateur with experience at Zoe’s Kitchen, True Food Kitchen, and others.
Aimed to create a high-end burger concept, combining upscale ingredients with an immersive dining experience.
Menu included items like $26 cheeseburgers, which drew criticism for high prices on Reddit and other platforms.
Evicted from its location in November 2024 after financial struggles.
Officially filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on August 5, 2025.
Liabilities: Over $3 million; Assets: $45,000
- Largest creditor: Sonata Bank ($2 million)

Payne wanted to build a better burger.

Image source: Getty Images

Chris Payne launched an attempt at a burger chain

When Payne launched Burger + Grain in 2023, he had a fairly simple concept. He wanted to take the idea of using better ingredients he learned at Zoe's and True Food Kitchen and bring that to the hamburger space.

That's not an entirely new idea, as better burgers has been a common thread behind many fast-food chain launches, but Burger + Grain was meant to be something entirely nicer.

The proof-of-concept restaurant, for what was supposed to become a chain, launched in Nashville in 2023. Its goals were lofty (and perhaps a bit pretentious.

“Indulge in a culinary journey unlike any other at Burger + Grain, where sophistication meets innovation to redefine the dining experience. Nestled in the heart of The Nations, our restaurant welcomes you into the culinary process with intentionality and transparency,” it shared on its website.

That's a really wordy way to say “we have high-end burgers,” but it's not that different from how True Food Kitchens communicates with its customers. You can't come out and say that McDonald's and Burger are well beneath you. Instead, you have to imply it with lofty words.

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Haughtiness aside, the concept was actually simple.

“Our scratch kitchen upholds the highest standards of culinary integrity, using only the freshest, finest ingredients in every dish as our skilled chefs craft a symphony of flavors and textures right before your eyes for a truly immersive dining experience,” it added.

The chain was arguably a good idea, but launching a proof-of-concept restaurant in a high-rent part of Nashville proved to be a bad idea. After a year-ling saga, Burger + Grain has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Burger + Grain files Chapter 7 bankruptcy

Burger + Grain's death has been a protracted one.

The chain was evicted from its location last November.

After exploring its options, the company did not actually file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy until August 5.

In the bankruptcy filing, Burger + Grain claimed $45,000 in assets and $3,023,926.33 in liabilities. The largest creditor listed is Sonata Bank at $2 million, according to the filing.

Attorney Jay Lefkovitz of Lefkovitz & Lefkovitz represented Burger + Grain.

The restaurant did not respond to multiple requests from Nashville Business Journal for comment.

Burger + Chain's website does not reflect the closure and its Facebook page remains up, although it has not been updated in many months.

The company did have an active community discussing it on Reddit.

Many people complained about the restaurant's prices on the social media site.

“That place had $26 cheeseburgers,” one Reddit user whose name has been deleted shared.

Some did sort of defend the prices based on the quality

“Cheeseburger was $22 ($10 on happy hour). The French Dip was $26 and was delicious. Those are $18 and $22 respectively at Bricktops, but the french dip at B+G was more substantial in size,” a user with a mildly offensive handle added.