Despite country-wide closures after its corporate parent filed for bankruptcy suddenly on Tuesday, Mount Pleasant’s Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern won’t be affected – at least for the short term.

Metromedia Restaurant Group, owner of Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale Restaurant, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in the Eastern District of Texas. This filing means the company seeks to liquidate its assets and shut down.

LaBelle Management owns the 14 Bennigan’s in Michigan and has no plans of closures.

“We have a viable growing business,” said LaBelle CEO Brad Hansen. “Michigan won’t really be affected.”

Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, located at 2424 Mission St., opened in 1994.

“Corporate Bennigan’s, the parent company, has filed bankruptcy and closed corporate stores only,” Hansen said. “All Bennigan’s franchisees, of which we are, will remain open and conduct business as usual.”

Hansen said Metromedia has been struggling for a few months with the state of the economy and financial markets.

“It was a viable alternative for them,” he said. “We just didn’t know when and at what level they would go.”

Hansen doesn’t foresee this affecting his business.

“We’re all local businesses employing local people and helping local economies,” he said.

Metromedia has not publicly commented on filing for bankruptcy, but Hansen said he believes the corporation will maintain the franchise part of the company.

“We should be fine for the near future, but if shortages of proprietary items exist then we will have to look at alternative products,” he said.

The Associated Press reported in June that Metromedia said it was formulating a proposal to present to its lenders to restructure its debt, but said it was not preparing to file for bankruptcy.

The filing lists 38 separate entities that it classified as “debtors” but does not include a list of locations that are shutting down.

In the filing, the company indicated that it has up to 49 creditors and owes less than $50,000. It said it will have no funds left after administrative expenses are paid to repay its creditors.

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