Food fight: McDonald's sues Boston Market over back rent at turnpike rest areas

McDonald's today sued Boston Market, for the second time, over rent it says the chicken chain owes for subleases at Massachusetts Turnpike rest areas in Framingham, Westborough and Ludlow.

Boston Market closed its outlets in the three rest areas in 2020 during the pandemic and stopped paying rent to McDonald's, even though, McDonald's says, it continued to sling burgers and fries at the areas, McDonald's says in its complaint, filed in Suffolk Superior Court. McDonald's sued in 2021, the two sides negotiated a repayment plan. But then, in July, 2022, Boston Market - which is based in Colorado - stopped paying rent again and shut its Westborough location again.

Now, McDonald's says, Boston Market owes it at least $560,000 in back rent and the grimacing burger giant wants its money, plus interest, damages and attorneys' fees.