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It’s no secret that businesses on the local and national level have suffered due to the pandemic, but the restaurant and service industry has been hit especially hard.
According to Yelp’s Economic Average report, 60% of restaurants that closed temporarily since the start of the pandemic have closed permanently. I’ve curated a list of both permanent and temporary restaurant closures below so you can bid your favorite eateries a proper adieu in your own way.
1. TGI Fridays may permanently close up to 20% of its 386 locations.
That’s roughly 77 TGI Friday restaurants across the U.S. According to CEO Ray Blanchette, some of these closures are undoubtedly permanent, but they’re salvaging what they can to stay in business until COVID-19 passes.
2. Steak N’ Shake is permanently closing down 51 restaurants.
Net sales at Steak ‘n Shake for the first quarter of 2020 were down $61 million compared to 2019, and they closed 111 locations “temporarily” in November. So, the fast-food mainstay had been experiencing some financial turbulence before the pandemic, which has made things worse.
With coronavirus, their decline has accelerated, so grab your fries and a shake while you still can.
3. Souplantation closed all 97 of their stores for good.
Souplantation offers self-serve buffet-style food, which would obviously pose a problem with COVID restrictions. Sadly, the 42-year-old franchise called it quits and shuttered all 97 of their locations in May.
4. Ruby Tuesday filed for bankruptcy after closing one-third of its locations.
The family-style dine-in restaurant filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on Wednesday, Oct. 7 after closing nearly one-third of its 450 locations according to Business Insider.
RELATED: These Stores Are Reopening with Big Sales and Big Changes
5. Specialty’s Cafe and Bakery permanently closed all its locations on Tuesday, May 19.
Specialty’s, a Northwest-based chain, permanently closed all of its locations across California, Illinois, and Washington on Tuesday, May 19.
6. Le Pain Quotidien recently filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and closed all its U.S.-based locations.
Le Pain Quotidien, an international bakery chain, already had plans to start closing locations before coronavirus struck.
An online statement from the restaurant notified customers that they temporarily closed all U.S.-based locations, but they’ve filed for bankruptcy since then as part of a larger plan to restructure the franchise.
Cross your fingers and hope for yet another day of coffee and Danish pastries before this is all said and done.
RELATED: Grocery Stores’ Restock Schedules Explained
7. IHOP closed over 40 locations from Nashville to Virginia Beach and the Carolinas.
IHOP has already closed 49 locations across Nashville, TN; Virginia Beach; and North Carolina. Area director Vince Justice said that, “When all this happened, we went from no dine-in service to only takeout.”
As a fast-casual dine-in staple for families, IHOP was never intended to be a takeout-type breakfast joint.
8. Pizza Hut is permanently closing 300 underperforming dine-in locations.
While this doesn’t spell out the end for the beloved pizza franchise, fans of Pizza Hut will have to get used to dining at home for the foreseeable future.
The pizza chain is closing locations “with low volume,” according to CEO of Yum! Brands Greg Creed.
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9. Brio Tuscan Grille and Bravo Cucina Italiana permanently closed 71 of their 92 locations.
Parent company FoodFirst Global Restaurants closed 71 Brio Tuscan Grille and Bravo Cucina Italiana locations throughout the U.S. due to coronavirus.
CEO Steve Layt kept the top-performing locations open to serve curbside pickup and delivery meals, but even those locations are struggling, as only managers are left to run day-to-day operations.
Layt claims that “The mandated dining room closure orders wiped out 60% of our restaurants within days and since then we have experienced nothing short of devastating sales declines.”
Hopefully, Brio and Bravo can hold out so you can enjoy their delicious carbonara once again.
10. Luby’s Inc. plans to liquidate all of its Luby’s and Fuddruckers restaurants.
Parent company Luby’s — a Texas-based cafeteria-style diner — has been on a steady decline, with a 13% drop in revenue as of last July.
Now, Luby’s CEO and President Christopher J. Pappas confirmed in a press release on Sep. 8 that Luby’s Inc. will liquidate both eateries in hopes of a compelling offer.
11. Red Robin temporarily closed 35 restaurants.
It looks as if the days of Red Robin bottomless fries and big burgers are limited: Red Robin closed 35 locations and cut 50 corporate jobs to stay afloat.
RELATED: What’s Next for These Stores Going Bankrupt
12. MTY Food Group, Inc. temporarily closed 2,100 locations.
MTY Food Group, which owns Papa Murphy’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Pinkberry, and a number of other chains, temporarily closed 2,100 stores and laid off over half of its global workforce.
13. Denny’s permanently closed 15 locations, perhaps more in the future.
Denny’s announced that it would be permanently closing 15 locations in New York due to coronavirus.
Apparently, Denny’s announced that 312 of its locations were temporarily closed in May, too, which accounts for roughly 18% of its 1,700 locations.
Don’t scroll back up — here are your links:
These Stores Are Reopening with Big Sales and Big Changes
Grocery Stores’ Restock Schedules Explained
Retailers That Might Not Reopen After Coronavirus
What’s Next for These Stores Going Bankrupt
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