CSF Closes Rogers Cafe Santa Fe

CSF Franchise Group has closed its Cafe Santa Fe restaurant in Rogers. The restaurant had been open for 10 months.r

There are now four Cafe Santa Fe restaurants open — in Fayetteville, Springdale, Eureka Springs and Benton. r

The Fayetteville-based company had 16 restaurants in 2000 and plans for another 40.r

We were unable to reach Tom Flores, president of CSF.r

CSF Franchise Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Oct. 7. The court filing listed debts of $1 million-$10 million and assets of $500,000-$1 million.r

Three days before CSF filed for bankruptcy, the two primary owners of the company each filed for bankruptcy as individuals, citing debts of $1 million-$10 million each and assets of less than $50,000. Flores owns 59 percent of the company. Emad Damen, who also goes by the name Ed Damen, owns 32 percent.r

“It’s reorganization, and we’re not closing down,” Flores told the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in October. “We’re trying to work through the debts we have from franchisees who left us hanging. We’re just trying to turn this around. This is the best way we can do it.”r

CSF had sales of about $6 million in 2001, down from $9 million the year before, when the company had an additional six restaurants in operation.r

In 2002, the company reopened its original restaurant at 25 Center St. in Fayetteville.