Pittsburg, PA
After all of Pittsburgh area’s Smokey Bones restaurants close, what should consumers do with gift cards?
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.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made a much-needed move ahead of the 2026 All-Star Game, bringing in another infielder and bullpen arm to improve the MLB lineup. Even with the addition of left-hander Brandon Eisert, the Buccos are still seeking further upgrades to their struggling bullpen.
The Pirates now have a few weeks until this year’s Trade Deadline, but they are expected to be active up until the final minutes.
That’s why the organization has to shoot for the stars and target San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller. The Pittsburgh-native is one of the latest names to land on the trade rumor mill, and it’s the perfect opportunity for the Pirates to take their bullpen to the next level.
Why Miller Makes Sense for Pirates
There is a rising sense that the All-Star closer is heading out of San Diego. Despite being one of the top relievers in the MLB this season, toting an ERA of 0.91 and picking up 25 saves in 39 innings pitched, he’s on the trade block.
In a recent article for USA Today, Bob Nightengale noted that the MLB is paying close attention to the Padres, with many expecting them to be a selling team as they plummet further in the standings.
“Rival executives are intrigued to see whether A.J. Preller trades Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller at the deadline with their team spiraling downward,” he wrote. “But they laugh at the notion they will receive anything close to the package they surrendered to the Athletics to acquire him.”
That’s exactly what the Pirates need to hear. Yes, they have a solid closer right now in Gregory Soto. He’s been a wonderful replacement with Dennis Santana regressing, but it hasn’t solved the bullpen’s issues.
With Miller on board as the new closer, it gives the Pirates two shutdown arms. With Soto and Miller ready to close games, it brings their mediocre bullpen to suddenly playoff-worthy.
What Would Pirates Need to Give Up for Miller?
As Nightengale noted, the Padres gave up an arm and a leg to bring Miller in last year. They parted with their number two prospect at the time, but the sentiment is that there is not as strong a market for the bullpen arm in 2026.
That’s huge news for the Pirates as well, who have plenty of young players they consider expendable.
Would a package centered around a pitcher like Antwone Kelly or Thomas Harrington be enough to entice the struggling Padres? For the Pirates, it would be a loss to give up either young arm, but the return and hopeful playoff push is beyond worth it.
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Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh Pirates Select Incoming Tennessee Baseball Transfer Outfielder In MLB Draft | Rocky Top Insider
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Tennessee baseball transfer commit Andrew Duncan with the 558th pick (19th round) in the 2026 MLB Draft on Sunday afternoon. A Wright State outfielder, Duncan committed to Tennessee out of the transfer portal last month.
Duncan is coming off a breakout junior season at Wright State where he slashed .367/.436/.577 with six home runs, 11 doubles, eight triples and 36 RBIs. As the eight triples indicate, speed is a key part of Duncan’s game with the outfielder stealing 19 bases on just 22 attempts.
The Dunedin, Florida native spent his freshman season at Florida State where he played in just 13 games before transferring to Wright State for his sophomore season. Duncan transferred to Tallahassee State College for his sophomore season before moving back up to the division one level at Wright State last season.
More From RTI: Elite Tennessee Baseball Catcher Signee Withdraws From MLB Draft, Will Play for Vols
Duncan played centerfield for the Raiders last season and will likely slide into that same spot at Tennessee next season if he does not sign with Pittsburgh. Outfield was a major point of emphasis for the Vols this offseason after losing Reese Chapman to graduation, Garrett Wright to the MLB Draft and both Jay Abernathy and Nate Eisfelder to the transfer portal.
Losing Duncan would be a real blow because of Tennessee’s need in centerfield for next season. A number of other Vols including Levi Clark, Blake Grimmer and Mercer transfer Braydon Kersey are capable of playing in the outfield but likely could not play centerfield at a high level defensively.
Duncan is one of 11 transfers to commit to Tennessee this offseason along with Air Force infielder Wyatt Hanoian, Cal Baptist shortstop Chris Ramirez, Baylor infielder Travis Sanders, FIU infielder Mario Trivella, Clemson right-handed pitcher Hayden Simmerson, Louisville right-handed pitcher Parker Detmers, South Carolina left-handed pitcher Jake McCoy, Northwestern State left-handed pitcher Brody Trosclair, UC Irvine left-handed pitcher Ricky Ojeda and Mercer two-way Braydon Kersey.
Today we are seasonable with partly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-80s.
There are a few isolated showers this afternoon and evening, but not a washout, and nothing severe is expected.
Most will be mainly dry, and the dry weather carries into the week with highs near 90 and plenty of sunshine.
Hourly Conditions:
- 9 a.m.: 74° Mostly Sunny
- Noon: 80° Mostly Cloudy
- 3 p.m.: 82° Showers
- 6 p.m.: 81° Mostly Sunny
We could see our 6th 90-degree day of the year on Tuesday, with two more following through Thursday, plus it could feel in the triple digits for some areas. Wednesday will be the hottest!
Our next best chance of rain and storms is Friday and throughout the weekend!
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