Nick Pihakis, the beleaguered multi-concept operator of a number of now-closed restaurants across the South, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Thursday. The CEO and founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Pihakis Restaurant Group claimed liabilities of about $44 million in the filing, with assets of about $10.6 million in personal property, according to the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Pihakis also faces a number of lawsuits filed by landlords, lenders, vendors and others tied to his business ventures. Several landlords involved with Pihakis Group brands are seeking a stay in the Chapter 7 bankruptcy, arguing that Pihakis owes unpaid rent on several properties. Signs of trouble for the restaurant group began in April with the abrupt shuttering of Tasty Town.