UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — WUSA9 continues to dig into the story behind the sudden closures of Bojangles in Maryland.
Salim Kakakhail and Yavir Akbar Durranni operated five Bojangles in Prince George's County, located in New Carrollton, Upper Marlboro, Oxon Hill, Largo, and Hillcrest Heights. Despite appearing to be open on Google, and even on the Bojangles' website, all five locations have been closed since late 2023.
The owners operated under several LLCs, including ABS Network LLC's. WUSA9 tried reaching out to these owners for three days with no response, but the state is looking into complaints of wage theft and fraudulent W2s. Not only do former employees say these men owe them money, WUSA9 learned the former owners owe the state, too, and have over $69,000 in back property taxes.
But in November 2023, Duranni and ABS Network LLC filed for bankruptcy in New Jersey citing the restaurants as assets. It is unclear if filing for Chapter 11 excludes him from paying property taxes. The tax lien was imposed three months before the filing.
Former employees claim that the restaurant would run out of food and purchase chicken from Safeway or Popeyes. WUSA asked Bojangles if this violated any agreement the franchisee had with the company, and they sent this statement:
"The franchisee is no longer in the Bojangles system. However, it is important to note in your coverage that franchisees are independent business owners who are licensed to operate a brand but have autonomy over many aspects of their business, including hiring employees and payroll responsibilities."
Many have asked about another Bojangles set to open in an old Ruby Tuesdays in Frederick. WUSA9 can confirm that the restaurant will not be affiliated with this group. Bojangles said the owner of Frederick will be Alex Bermand and that store is expected to open later this year.
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