U.S. News
Family Favorite Restaurant Chains Navigate Sudden Closures Amid Financial Strains
Clear Facts
- Many restaurant chains, such as Red Lobster and Tijuana Flats, are grappling with closures due to various financial pressures, including inflation and shifts in consumer behavior.
- Despite some brands closing locations, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are failing. Several establishments are also announcing new openings, suggesting a strategic shift rather than a total shutdown.
- A good number of restaurant chains have abruptly closed, leaving customers and employees confused, while others have offered explanations related to financial difficulties or underperforming branches.
When your favorite neighborhood diner or café suddenly closes, it’s a stark reminder of the fluctuations within the restaurant industry. Even industry giants are not exempt from these challenging circumstances.
Inflation, evolving consumer preferences, and other financial strains have created significant hurdles for these establishments, driving them to reconsider their strategies or confront closure.
Since 2024 began, numerous chains, from the beloved Crumbl cookie chain to Tex-Mex favorite Tijuana Flats, have shut their doors at several locations. These closures are mostly associated with financial difficulties, which sometimes coincide with bankruptcy filings. However, it’s important to remember that not all closures signal a failing brand.
Some chains offer credible reasons, like underperforming outlets, while others announce a series of openings alongside closures, suggesting a strategic shift rather than a failing enterprise. Conversely, some chains have closed abruptly, leaving both employees and customers in a state of uncertainty.
Red Lobster, the world’s largest seafood chain, has faced a challenging year. In May, Red Lobster suddenly closed nearly 100 restaurants amid speculation of a bankruptcy filing. The company later confirmed its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to allow it to restructure while sustaining operations.
Rubio’s Coastal Grill, a well-liked fast-casual Mexican establishment, suddenly closed 48 of its California outlets in late May. The company attributed this decision to increasing business costs in California. These closures followed a minimum wage increase from $16 to $20 for fast-food employees in California.
Applebee’s, which has been closing restaurants since 2017, anticipates between 25 to 35 more closures in 2024. Despite this, Dine Brands Global, Applebee’s parent company, is concentrating on growth initiatives, and Flynn Group, a prominent restaurant operator, plans to expand Applebee’s with 25 new restaurants over the next seven years.
TGI Fridays announced the closure of 36 “underperforming” restaurants at the beginning of the year. Ray Risley, U. S. President and Chief Operating Officer at TGI Fridays, stated in a press release that the closures are part of its “ongoing growth strategy.”
Boston Market has also been facing notable challenges, with the number of operating restaurants plummeting from around 300 in 2023 to a mere 27 in 2024.
In February, Bloomin’ Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, closed 41 “underperforming locations,” although it expects to nearly triple its Outback openings in 2024.
On April 19, Tijuana Flats, a chain of fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurants, announced its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closure of 11 restaurants. The closures were attributed to “a unit-by-unit analysis of financial performance, occupancy costs, and market conditions.”
Each of these closures serves as a poignant reminder of the hurdles facing both large and small restaurants. As 2024 progresses, it’s vital to monitor the evolving landscape of the industry and how our favorite establishments choose to navigate these challenging times.
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Matt Lechner
June 9, 2024 at 6:52 am
In regard to Red Lobster, I saw various comments with very involved economic analysis as to why it closed. But all you have to do is look at the cost of lobster today, and it’s pretty clear that’s no longer a viable menu for a family-type restaurant. As usual, the televised news about the economy soft pedals the thorny issues confronting American families, and inflation is a considerably bigger problem in America than the news media lets on. Confronting inflation, through either or both cutting costs, and/or boosting revenue has to be looked at as a major goal for America – sooner rather than later. The country is getting pressured on the revenue side by China, and on the expense side by OPEC (as usual) and by the massive issue of illegal immigration. While largely thanks to the media, people focus their attention on political squabbling, the tide is going out economically largely thanks to inflation and the run-a-way costs of massive illegal immigration. The sky is not the limit on either side – not on America’s ability to sustain ever-higher prices, and not on America’s ability to shoulder the ever-higher social costs of illegal immigration. The numbers just don’t work, like they didn’t for Red Lobster.
Yank
June 9, 2024 at 6:56 am
It is my opinion that the closings of these family restaurants is the direct result of the Biden administration and is a direct reflection of the energy crisis created by Biden. His executive order to stop all fossil fuel production in this country has forced prices to rise. Semi trucks can’t operate on battery power, they need the diesel fuel to operate. With the price of fuel for trucks in the $5+ range, trucking companies have to raise their shipping prices for delivery of products for restaurants and the public in general. Restaurants have to increase their prices, the price of beef has risen in relation to diesel prices, grocery stores raise prices also, wages have not risen in relation to the inflation over the last 3 1/2 years. All of this is in direct reflection of the elimination of fossil fuel production in this country.
WOKE JOKES
June 9, 2024 at 1:50 pm
The WORLD depends on a cheap fuel supply. Container ships, freight aircraft, trucks delivering to distribution points, on and on.
In Krapafornia the high taxes on fuel make things even worse for the delivery industry.
James
June 11, 2024 at 6:55 am
But there will be people out thinking biden is doing a great job -_-;;
nabiru
June 9, 2024 at 7:02 am
This article is a false explanation of the ongoing starvation project. Food processing plants burning down . Livestock being killed by the millions . Supply chains destroyed . Now restaurant are the target . You will be starved . They have a great experience in this kind of things .Irish potato famine . Ukrainian , Iranian , Indian , Chinese famines killed hundreds of millions .
Joe
June 9, 2024 at 7:09 am
Hidenbiden is so dam clueless,he has caused the demise of America,This corrupt,embarrassment and his corrupt administration,need to be held accountable,for the destruction of our country,and setting the world on fire,with idiotic policies.This entire low=down,incompetent,administration,needs to be locked up,for screwing the american people over,for years.
Karl Beilstein
June 9, 2024 at 7:58 am
sorry but I believe that the shutting down of restaurants and particularly chains, is due in part from the tendency to saturate the market. Whenever a food or a chain becomes popular there are swarms of copy cats that crop up. when that happens people tend to try out all the newbies, and there are just not enough people to enable them all to thrive. It is a mark of the industry!!!
Bruce W Walters
June 9, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Thankyou Mr. Biden for this robust economy.
Cheri Taylor
June 9, 2024 at 3:16 pm
The number one goal of the so-called elitists is a world population of only 550,000,000 humans. All of the nasty, bad things emanating out of the Biden administration can be seen as directly orchestrating toward this thing happening.
GomeznSA
June 9, 2024 at 4:59 pm
CT – and if you ask any of the elites they will ALL tell ya that they will be part of the select few who are ‘allowed’ to survive. None of them realize they are just as expendable as the rest of us mere mortals.
Elsye
June 10, 2024 at 1:20 pm
Bidenomics in action! The Federal Goverment should keep it’s nose out of the businesses operating in our cities, countys and states. That is what local elections are for. When the feds make is so expensive to stay open, we all loce.
Marty
June 17, 2024 at 12:05 am
Another contributing factor is Biden paying off student college loans resulting in a shortage of workers.