Exit Zero Publishing files Chapter 11 after restaurant venture collapse

Exit Zero Publishing, founded in 2003 by journalist Jack Wright in Cape May, New Jersey, expanded from a weekly magazine into a guidebook and retail business before launching its first restaurant, Exit Zero Cookhouse, in 2015 and later the Exit Zero Filling Station in 2018. The company opened three additional restaurants, but pandemic‑related shutdowns, followed by soaring food and labor costs, led to poor performance. "Despite substantial efforts to maintain the restaurant operations, the three additional restaurant locations were ultimately unsuccessful and closed in February 2024," Wright said in a court filing. The Filling Station closed in September 2023, and the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2024.

The bankruptcy underscores the severe financial pressures faced by small‑scale restaurateurs in the post‑COVID era, where inflation and lingering operational challenges continue to strain liquidity and viability.