According to local media outlets, some of which reported the news as breaking, the popular Danish restaurant chain Jensens Bøfhus has announced the closure of its last remaining restaurant in Denmark after years of consecutive financial losses. The newspaper Børsen reported that the chain, which until recently owned 15 restaurants, will see 12 of them transferred to its competitor, Bones.
Difficult years and the end of a long journey with a significant financial deficit for the iconic restaurant chain.
Jensens Bøfhus has experienced a sharp decline in its financial performance in recent years. Since its acquisition by a group of investors from the island of Funen in 2018, the company has suffered a series of losses and investor exits. Last July, the company announced a deficit exceeding 37 million Danish kroner, leading to the closure of four restaurants by the end of September, according to the newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
The remaining fifteen restaurants at that time were distributed as follows: eight in Jutland, two in Funen, and five in Zealand. Palle Skov Jensen had established the first restaurant in the chain in 1984 under the name “Bøf España,” before it later changed to the name by which it became known throughout Denmark.
Thus, the Jensenz Bofhus chain closes a long chapter in the history of Danish restaurants.
Competitor Bones' acquisition of restaurants
In a statement to DR, Jan Vinther Laursen, CEO of Bons, indicated that some of these restaurants will be converted into new Bons branches, while the rest will be operated under a different concept. Laursen explained that the agreement between the two companies came after Jensens Bøfhus realized that continuing the chain was no longer economically viable.
Mikkel Hammershøj, CEO of Selfinvest, owned by businessman Torben Østergaard-Nielsen, told the newspaper Börsen, “This agreement is a solution we are confident in and will help preserve many jobs.” He confirmed that the decision came after lengthy negotiations with the previous owners, Nielsen and Georg Gundersen, who finalized the deal with Bonns last night.
A legacy in the history of Danish restaurants
Larsen added that Jensens Bøfhus was “an icon in the Danish restaurant world,” noting that it played a significant role in popularizing the Danish dining culture, whether for family gatherings or business meetings. He affirmed that Bons “appreciates this legacy and seeks to build upon it within its new vision.”.
Restaurant transformation by summer 2026
According to DR, Bones plans to complete the conversion of the twelve acquired branches into new restaurants before the summer of 2026. The company will continue to operate them temporarily under the name Jensens Bøfhus, before beginning the conversion process in the next few months.
Bones currently has 18 restaurants in Jutland, six in Zealand, and one each in Lolland, Funen, and Greenland.
Larsen declined to reveal details of the new concept that non-Bones restaurants will follow, but explained that it “will be part of a globally recognized, tried and tested, successful category that we think Danes will love.”.
Jensens products will remain on the market
According to TV2, Jensens sauces will remain available in the markets, as the food products division “Jensens Køkken” was sold to the Stryhns Gruppen group in 2016, which means that this part of the brand will continue.
