FALSE CLAIM: Guzman y Gomez is closing all US locations as early as next week
Viral social media posts are falsely claiming that the Australian-born Mexican fast-casual chain Guzman y Gomez is shuttering all of its US restaurants, with some posts alleging that closures will begin "as early as next week." The claim has spread rapidly across platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), often accompanied by screenshots of a fabricated internal memo.
A Fact-checker investigation has found no evidence to support these claims. The company’s official website still lists all US locations as active and accepting orders. Guzman y Gomez’s corporate office in Sydney has denied the rumor, confirming to multiple news outlets that it has "no plans" for mass US closures. The chain, which operates roughly 20 locations in the United States (primarily in California and New York), has not issued any public statements regarding closures.
This false narrative appears to have originated from a satirical post on a subreddit dedicated to fast food rumors, which was then misrepresented as breaking news by algorithmically driven news aggregators. The initial viral clip on TikTok showing a "Going Out of Business" sign at one location was later revealed to be stock footage from a different, unrelated restaurant chain that had already closed in 2023.
Key false elements: the fictional internal memo, the specific "next week" timeline, and the implication of a total US withdrawal.
True context: Guzman y Gomez has recently closed a small number of underperforming locations in non-core markets as a standard business adjustment, which likely fueled the rumor. The chain’s US operations remain active, and there are currently no verified reports of widespread closures.
Verdict: FALSE. Guzman y Gomez is not closing all US locations. The posts are spreading a satirical rumor as factual news.