If you read my recent post detailing the mounting troubles of Even Stevens, this should come as no surprise: The Utah-based chain of sandwich shops has closed five Arizona locations, including the one in busy downtown Gilbert (pictured above).
The other closures were Scottsdale, Arcadia, Peoria, and Tucson. East Valley locations in Chandler and Tempe remain open, at least for now.
A company spokesperson said the closures are part of a plan to cut corporate costs, but gave no few details. A notice on the door of the Arcadia location indicated the landlord locked out the restaurant because it failed to pay rent.
Even Stevens also has suspended its much-publicized practice of donating a sandwich to charity for every sandwich sold.
The chain claims it’s donated more than 3 million sandwiches, but critics have questioned whether Even Stevens actually has followed through on that pledge.
