All three remaining Smokey Bones locations in the Pittsburgh area have closed after the restaurant chain’s parent company filed for bankruptcy.

After the locations in Hempfield, Cranberry and at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer closed, people reached out to KDKA asking what to do with their unused gift cards.

Michael Litvak from Beaver County says he’s stuck with $100 worth of Smokey Bones gift cards.

“And the one in Robinson closed about, I guess it was maybe about two weeks ago, they closed it 3 weeks ago, but nothing was said when they closed that that they were closing any other locations,” Litvak said. “And then on April 28, I found out we were going to go to Smokey Bones in Cranberry with friends and our friends said, ‘hey, we just checked their site, we was gonna check the menu, and it says they’re closed.’ So I started looking around, and here they closed all their restaurants on April 28, not even letting anybody know.”

Gift cards are treated as unsecured claims in a bankruptcy. That means you’re in the back of the line, behind the banks and the landlords to get your money back, so the likelihood of recouping your money is slim to none.

What to do with Smokey Bones gift cards

If you bought the gift card with a credit card, that’s your best shot at getting money back. Contact the credit card company and ask for a chargeback for goods and services not received. But you have to ask fast. This works best if you’re only one to four months out from the purchase. 

Did you get it from a third party? If you snagged the card on one of those big display sets at a Costco or grocery store, they’ll sometimes refund or exchange gift cards in special situations like this one.

If both fail, decide if it’s worth the hassle of filing a claim.

The Better Business Bureau recommends always checking with the company’s ownership. In this case, it’s FAT Brands. Right now, the BBB says the claim form and filing instructions are on FAT Brand’s website.

Even though FAT Brands owns other restaurants in the area, like Twin Peaks, they said they will not be honoring the Smokey Bones gift cards at those locations. 

Connecticut lawmakers will include $10.5 million for the state’s microtransit pilot program as part of the state’s upcoming budget, that’s according to State Sen. Christine Cohen, who is chair of the Transportation Committee.

“This $10.5 million provides programming in different areas across the state that really allow folks to have their independence, to travel freely to social activities, to doctors appointments, to and from work and so much more,” Cohen said.

The program, which started in 2024, has proven to be popular throughout the state, according to Cohen. The pilot program offered in 18 towns and cities across the state, operates much like Lyft and Uber, where residents can book rides with various contractors.

Transit advocates like Cohen hope the program may be expanded statewide.

They say it meets an urgent need, as many municipalities in Connecticut lack comprehensive mass transit coverage.

“My goal would really be to see these micro transit options in towns in all 169 towns eventually, so that even our most remote settings have options with respect to public transportation,” Cohen said.

Jeremy Tillinger, the director of policy at Via, a rideshare contractor with the pilot program, spoke about the service in late April. Tillinger said the program is already bringing in positive results.

“At a time when affordability and the rising cost of gas prices is on everybody’s minds, micro transit is providing an innovative, cost efficient solution for many,” Tillinger said.

Peggy Lyons, the First Selectwoman of Madison, said many of her residents want the program to continue.

Lyons said about 25,000 rides were booked for the program running in Madison, Guilford, Middletown and East Hampton last year.

“This is kind of filling in that gap and just within the way our state is structured, I think a lot of people are starting to depend on this, and they would hate to see it go,” Lyons said.

TOWN OF POTSDAM, New York (WWNY) – A company headquartered in Maine has purchased Potsdam Specialty Paper Inc.

Twin Rivers Paper Company announced on Tuesday that it has acquired the mill, which it described as “a recognized leader in the development and manufacturing of specialty latex, acrylic, and other saturated base papers.”

“This strategic acquisition adds exciting new papermaking capabilities to Twin Rivers’ portfolio,” said Tyler Rajeski, CEO of Twin Rivers. “PSPI’s strong focus on product development and customer collaboration aligns closely with Twin Rivers’ core competencies and builds upon our commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer-focused growth.”

“The Potsdam team is energized by the opportunity to join the Twin Rivers Paper team. Twin Rivers boasts a solid portfolio of papermaking assets, which will be complemented by our strengths in Potsdam,” said PSPI CEO Mike Huth. “We’re excited about the ability to build upon our mutual legacy of papermaking excellence, enhance the value we bring to existing Potsdam customers with the expertise and resources of Twin Rivers Paper, and serve new customers.”

Twin Rivers says the acquisition adds 26,000 tons of annual production capacity to its asset base.

“With specialized on-machine capabilities including latex saturating, nonwoven/synthetic fiber handling and wet creping, extensive color capabilities, and an advanced off-machine coater, the Potsdam, New York, mill produces highly engineered papers for a wide range of market sectors. Applications include tape base, abrasive backer, durable label, medical (sterilization), wallpaper base, wide format digital substrates, durable book cover and high-end retail packaging,” the company said.

Twin Rivers also owns two other paper mills in New York, including one in Lyons Falls and another in Little Falls.