Since the beginning of this year, the news of several restaurants shutting shops or cutting down on locations has hit the news. This change has been surprisingly alarming for those who enjoy heading out for a meal, ordering takeouts, or having food delivered home. In some cases, these shutdowns have been directly tied to financial difficulties, low footprints, and even bankruptcies, while others have cited underperformance as a reason for closure.

Cracker Barrel
Over the last quarter, Cracker Barrel has reported declining customer traffic, which has led to a 4% decrease in earnings. As a result, the company ended up closing its restaurants in four locations – Sacramento (CA), Santa Maria (CA), Medford (OR), and Columbia (CA).

Applebee’s
Over the last few years, the chain has had numerous closures, shutting down over 300 locations. Last year, they shut 46 locations, with about 25-35 more locations heading towards the same fate in 2024.
However, Applebee’s parent company, Dine Brands, is focused on rebuilding the brand name by setting up joint locations for Applebee’s and IHOP. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, these will open in early 2025, so maybe there’s still hope for all the Applebee’s lovers out there!

Chili’s
Despite being a fast-food giant, two of Chili’s locations, one each in Indiana and North Carolina, were shut down this year because they were underperforming and nearing their lease terms.

TGI Fridays
The iconic brand announced that it would shut down 36 of its locations across 12 states as they were unprofitable. This was said to be part of its overall growth strategy, and some of the states hit included New Jersey, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York.

Denny’s
Last year, the breakfast restaurant chain Denny’s pulled down the shutters of 57 locations across the country. About 10-20 more closures are expected this year, in what the company says is a reactionary adjustment to the pressures of inflation.

Boston Market
Unfortunately, this thriving business has been declining for a while now due to legal and financial issues, which have led to mass shutdowns across the country. From over 300 restaurants, their number has reduced to just 27 this year, with rumors for more shutdowns circling the grapevine. They have also reduced media contact, offering only a physical mailing address and a catering hotline phone number as ways to get in touch.

Mod Pizza
Another company that has faced major shutdowns this year is Mod Pizza, which closed shop in over 27 locations. These were across California, Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, Washington D.C., Wisconsin, Seattle, New Jersey, Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia, Oregon, and the District of Columbia.

PDQ Chicken
Early this year, PDQ (People Dedicated to Quality), known for its hot-selling chicken tenders and juicy sandwiches, closed eight stores across North and South Carolina due to tough market conditions. The company continues to remain tight-lipped about any further closures shortly.

Outback Steakhouse
Even though Outback Steakhouse’s parent company, Bloomin’ Brands, has recorded profits in the last quarter, it decided to shut 41 restaurants down. According to company officials, this decision was a result of factors like poor sales and traffic, trade areas, and improvements needed in the restaurants. However, by the end of this year, Bloomin’ Brands expects to triple its Outback openings, with plans for 18 new restaurants in 2024.

Hardee’s
This brand has been facing hard times since last year, having closed down shops in many locations. Some of these were in Champaign, Chatham, Monticello, Springfield, Virden, Carterville, and Du Quoin. The company has refused to share any reasons behind these closures.

Tijuana Flats
A subsidiary chain of fast and casual Tex-Mex restaurants, Tijuana Flats filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April this year. This financial setback led to the closure of around 40 restaurants across various locations. Currently, Flatheads LLC has acquired the company, and the brand has 65 company-owned restaurants in Florida and 26 franchise locations across Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

In-N-Out Burger
In a bold, historic move, In-N-Out Burger shut down a location for the first time in 76 years. This location, which had been operational for over 18 years, was near the Oakland International Airport. Their decision was influenced by the rising crime in the area and the brand’s commitment to employee safety.

Bonefish Grill
The upscale Bonefish Grill diner in Secaucus, New Jersey, had to be closed, adding to the ongoing troubles for Bloomin’ Brands. Nevertheless, the brand still functions in over 160 locations nationwide.
Like Bonefish, Bloomin’ Brands owns another upscale diner that serves prime steaks and other meat dishes called Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse. While no known news has arisen about their shutdowns this year, the brand did end up saying goodbye to its La Jolla restaurant in the summer of last year.

To find out more about restaurant closures in a specific area, a quick browser search can help. Simply enter “closing restaurants near me” or “local restaurants closing” to find a comprehensive list of expected shutdowns this year.