No bright future for Back to the Foodture restaurants

After months of emails with lawyers representing Universal Studios, owners of Back to the Foodture have decided the financial stress is just too much.

“We have been going back and forth with them since February paying lawyer fees and filing paperwork,” said chef Angel Magwood, co-owner of Back to the Foodture restaurants with husband Eddie Barnz. ”We just can’t do it anymore.”

On Tuesday, the Monroeville couple announced the closure of two locations. The one in Uptown is already closed. The SouthSide Works location will be open until Aug. 16.

Magwood said an attorney for Universal Studios emailed the couple about the use of the name, which is too close to the title of the 1985 movie “Back to the Future,” starring Michael J. Fox.

Magwood said she thinks when they applied for a trademark with thoughts of franchising that is most likely how Universal Studios was notified of a similar name.

“We thought we were doing the right thing by applying for a trademark,” she said.

This doesn’t mean they won’t ever get back into the food business (the couple purchased a food truck two years with hopes of taking it to events and festivals, but that hasn’t happened because they devoted their energy to opening the Uptown location). But for now, they plan to focus on other businesses they own such as a cleaning company, credit consulting business, potato chip line and clothing collection.

The couple posted on Facebook.

It said: “Foodturemaniacs, WE can not fight Universal studios any longer….”

There were plenty of comments urging them to change their name so they can stay open and customers offering their help.

The couple opened their first restaurant in Pitcairn in 2018. They closed that when they found space at 2767 E. Carson Street in SouthSide Works three years later.

In January, they expanded to a larger spot across the street from PPG Paints Arena inside the former Buford’s Kitchen and Blue Line Grille on Fifth Avenue in Uptown.

Magwood’s oldest son, R.J., has been working part-time at the SouthSide Works location, and her youngest son, Ryeon, inspired the “Buggie” burger. It has two grilled cheese sandwiches, one piece of Texas toast, two patties, two eggs, two pieces of bacon and two pieces of cheese with extra layers of tomato, lettuce, mayo and ketchup sauce.

The theme of all the Back to the Foodtures is a museum-type setting and includes retro items such as an Etch A Sketch, Lite Brite, rotary phone and even a manual typewriter.

Magwood said she believes a pizza place may be moving in next door to the SouthSide Works location and wants to also use the adjacent space where Back to the Foodture is located.

“This has been our passion the past five years,” Magwood said. “We love our customers and will miss them. It really stinks that this is happening.”

Back to the Foodture on the South Side will be open from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday until Aug. 16.