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P.F. Chang's Says Credit-Card Breach Affected 33 Restaurants The Asian-themed restaurant chain revealed the breach affected 33 locations across 16 states.

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

P.F. Chang's diners at 33 restaurants across the U.S. could be paying dearly for their eggrolls.

The Asian-themed restaurant chain announced Monday that a security breach compromised customers' credit-card information in 33 restaurants, located in 16 states. The breach occurred between October, 2013 and June, 2014.

In June, P.F. Chang's revealed that the U.S. Secret Service had alerted the chain to a possible security compromise. Since then, P.F. Chang claims that credit and debit card data has been processed securely.

Related: Every Move You Make, Every Step You Take, This Startup Will Be Watching You

While the chain has determined that security was compromised, it has not yet been able to pinpoint specific cardholders whose information was stolen. So, if you've eaten at any of the 33 affected stores in the last several months – listed on the company's website dedicated to the security breach -- P.F. Chang's is encouraging you to check your credit-card statements.

Security risks have weighed heavily on the minds of retail and restaurant chains in recent months, following the data breach scandals at Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels. Chains need to start taking steps now to tighten security – unless they want to be hackers' next target.

Related: Cyber Insurance: The Next Big Thing for Businesses

Kate Taylor

Staff Writer. Covers franchise-related trends and topics.

Kate Taylor is a staff writer covering franchises for Entrepreneur.com. Related areas of interest include chain restaurants, franchisee profiles and food trends. Get in touch with tips and feedback via email at ktaylor@entrepreneur.com or on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

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