Sean Brock’s Joyland reportedly closes 2 locations in Nashville

Chef and restaurateur Sean Brock has reportedly closed two locations of the fast-casual Joyland concept in Nashville, according to The Tennessean.

The restaurants were operated in partnership with Nick Pihakis of Pihakis Restaurant Group and Southall Farm and Inn founder Paul Mishkin. The Pihakis group, based in Birmingham, Alabama, is reportedly facing dozens of lawsuits seeking more than $23 million, mostly tied to nonpayment of debts, unpaid rent, and other bills. The group in May reportedly faced eviction from its Birmingham headquarters.

The Pihakis group this year has closed multiple restaurants across four states, including the concepts Tasty Town Greek Restaurant, the diner chain Hero Doughnuts, several locations of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, and the entertainment district known as Valley Post, which included the concepts Little Donkey, Luca & Lucy, and others.

One location of Joyland remains open in Birmingham.

A spokesperson for Mishkin confirmed the Nashville closures, saying in a statement the decision was "due to ongoing partnership challenges that ultimately made the current operating model unsustainable."

The statement, however, added, "We remain committed to the future of Joyland and look forward to what's ahead for the brand."

Pihakis was a co-founder of Jim ‘n Nick’s BBQ, which was acquired by Roark Capital Group in 2017. Pihakis went on to build the multi-brand restaurant group, which partnered with Brock to grow the Joyland concept in 2024.

Joyland, which Brock founded in Nashville in 2020, had grown to four units, but a location in Charleston, South Carolina, closed earlier this year.

Known for its biscuits, "Crust Burgers" and fried chicken, Joyland was a playful concept by Brock, who has long been associated with more upscale restaurants like Audrey, Husk, The Continental, and June. Brock also has the restaurant Darling in Los Angeles, which opened last year.