The restaurant had almost 1,000 locations at its height but shut down in the '80s after most were sold to Denny's. The future of Noodles & Company is uncertain, and they will likely close more of their locations. Surprisingly, some remain in business today but are down to just one solitary location where the past is still alive and well. All of Krystal's locations will likely disappear in the next few years. At some point, the chain had more than 700 locations across the United States. It rolled out at a slower pace than expected, though no new locations opened in 2012, with only five in 2013, four in 2014 and one in 2015 and as of July 2016 only 15 locations had opened. Zinburger addressed their closures by saying, Sadly, Zinburger is not able to reopen all locations as a result of the shut-down caused by the pandemic.. Hard Rock Cafe is one of the oldest fast-casual dining chains in the world, having opened its doors to the public in 1971. - January 23, 2018 06:08 pm EST. If youve ever eaten at this chain, youll remember the hearty snacks, such as garlic toasties and mushroom chicken soup. Similar to Bar Louie, this chain was also once known for its happy-hour drinks. Poor customer service and health scares are part of the problem. Sonics quarterly reports had significantly dropped in 2019. These days, many would rather go to an Italian restaurant instead and treat themselves to a high-quality meal. An unusual tactic on fast food, D'Lites marketed itself based on nutritional value. The chain had no other choice but to close more than 120 of its locations.

Between 2019 and 2020, 65 of their locations have closed across the country. Currently, there are 116 franchise locations and 182 company-owned ones. Poor performance was the reason for the closure. Call it a game changer. Theyve been operating for over 33 years in Illinois, California, and Washington. Locations sprouted up across the country after its 1965 launch, serving fresh homemade pies in many varieties along with other diner staples. Founded in 1934 in Bloomington, Ind., the chain became wildly popular in England, according to Revolvy.

The first Chi-Chis Mexican Restaurant pulled in $2 million in 1975 its first year according to The Daily Meal. Sadly, things haven't been going well for the chain over the last few years, and they had to close some locations to cut losses. The sudden decrease in sales has to do a lot with health scares, as fewer and fewer people trust the chain. Since 2011, the chain has been closing more and more of its locations. This chain, which the singer launched in 1991 along with KFC mogul John Y. The last location, in Downtown Disney, closed in 2018, but offshoot ESPN Grill is still open at Walt Disney Worlds Boardwalk and is one thing you can do at Disney without a park ticket.

According to a report by Macro Axis, the company is 43% likely to file for bankruptcy at any time now. In 1969, Lums went public and bought Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Currently, there are over 300 TGI Fridays locations in the United States and 500 other locations around the world. If you best remember Kenny Rogers Roasters from a classic Seinfeld episode, youre not alone. For over 40 years, this chain has been serving dinner entrees, traditional gourmet items, handcrafted sandwiches, and other options. The chain has 360 locations across the United States, but some recently had to close their doors due to financial difficulties.

Its hard to tell if these locations will be able to bounce back or if theyll be forced to close for good.

Classics included Kennys Chicken Meals, which came with the signature rotisserie chicken and side dishes such as coleslaw, garden salad, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and more.

But sometimes having good food isnt enough to survive. In October of that year founder Steve Ells announced that Chipotle wouldnt be investing any more money into building the brand, and all locations shut down in March 2017. The restaurant also featured wide variety of sweets, drinks, pastas, and salads. Later that year, the company filed for bankruptcy, but continues to operate 35 of its 98 locations.

Houlihan's was successful for four years before they started seeing a decline in revenue. Today they barely have 60 spots left. 2020 was a tough year for many restaurants, including Zinburger, which closed 15 of their locations in 2020 alone. Despite being one of the most popular food chains in the world, Burger King is also not doing well at the moment. Texas chain Lubys is known for their deep-fried fare, but not everyone in the country is familiar with this comfort food brand. Graydon Webb, former Wendys executive, founded G.D. Ritzys in 1980 and built it into a 120-restaurant chain. But it was overexpansion that eventually did the company in. By 1972 there were more than 330 outlets across the country, but 10 years later Marriott bought the chain and merged it with Roy Rogers. The Howard Johnson's hotel-restaurant chains began in the 1920s and evolved along with the American car culture. Its first location was opened in 1993, and it instantly became a hit among consumers. Known for its delicious fish tacos, Rubio's Coastal Grill is a Mexican chain founded by Ralph Rubio. The automat is a defunct restaurant concept, but in its day it was a reliable way to get a quick and tasty meal. Next: Burger Chef might have overtaken McDonalds. Investors sued the company after they were forced to redo their 1968 taxes to show a loss of more than $1 million, and the company shut down shortly thereafter. New ownership has kept just 23 locations open in the U.S. At its peak, there were about 200 locations in 27 states, from Maine to Texas. Founded in 1995, the chain was initially doing very well, but after ten years, their sales started to drop. The vast majority of locations closed in the 1960s due to an inability to compete on a wholesale level with more homogenized chains, but a couple Pennsylvania locations are still open, and many stores across the region still carry Isalys products. They currently own 79 locations, with more of them closing every year.

Golden Corral is one of the oldest chains in the United States. Pie Five is a pizza brand that offers made-to-order personal pizzas, but they have suffered dozens of closures in the last decade. The film's cult following outlived the restaurants, and its final west coast location closed in 2010. "These closures eliminate all stores with significant losses, which we expect will result in a highly viable portfolio of restaurants," stated the CEO of Fiesta Restaurant Group. However, East Coast residents may be excited to learn that a Massapequa, Long Island establishment using the same name and logos has been flipping burgers since 1961. The chain tried to change things up by renaming some of their locations to "Hoots" and dressing the waitresses more conservative. The chain had no other choice but to file for Chapter 11 and close 700 of its locations. The South Florida fixture, whose signature hot dogs were steamed in beer, was so successful, in fact, that the company went public and bought Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1969. Famous for its trademark hot dogs steamed in beer, according to the menu on Pinterest, Lums also served a hot roast beef sandwich and submarine sandwich. It's safe to say Hooters has seen better days. While the chain is not currently in danger of disappearing entirely, 12 of their locations in Florida and Colorado were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. Specialty's Cafe & Bakery is known for its delicious sandwiches, soups, salads, and cookies. Only two Howard Johnsons remain today one in Bangor, Maine, and one in Lake Placid, N.Y. That same year, Landry's bought the chain for the amount of its debt ($40 million). Opened by John E. Saxe and his son, Thomas, White Tower copied White Castle's menu, style, advertising and even architecture. Founded in 1981, TooJays began operating in Palm Beach. While many people still regularly visit this restaurant chain, not many are aware that Chipotle has been suffering greatly. Moreover, their menu hasn't been updated in years, and the younger demographic isn't attracted to the Boston Market.

You can even order full-on meals at Wimpy UK. Norman Brinker, who founded Chilis and Jack in the Box, wasnt as successful with Steak and Ale. But there are also some great ones where you can count on good quality, familiar menu items, and great service. In 1972 there were 1,200 Burger Chef locations in the country only McDonalds beat it by 400 locations. Locations opened in Atlanta, Baltimore, Denver, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and at New Yorks Times Square and Disneylands Downtown Disney, but by 2009, its popularity began to dwindle as the economy slowed down. But the small fast food franchise has been closing locations every year due to diminishing sales and some of the decrease in popularity is due to health code violations at a few of their locations. Founded in the late 50s, Perkins began operating in Cincinnati, Ohio, and instantly became a hot spot. The chain was known for its delicious buttermilk pancakes, and some called it the pancake house.". The pair built the chain to 1,117 locations by the early 1980s, but the chain was already failing financially, according to howstuffworks. Steak 'n Shake is the oldest restaurant chain in the country. In 2020, the company abandoned their indoor dining services in favor of drive thru, pick-up or take-away services, which has seen some customers abandon the franchise altogether. Although the franchise had over 200 locations in 11 states in 1996, the brand has dwindled in popularity since then, closing 84 of its locations in 2019 alone. While there are currently more than 1,500 locations of Dennys nationwide, 15 of them had permanently close. Since then, over 1,500 Papa Murphys locations have opened around the world, and although the company sees hundreds of million of dollars in revenue each year, the chains popularity is decreasing in favor of delivery pizza chains. There are still around 24,000 locations in operation, but the company is planning to close more of them in the nearest future. Country music legend Kenny Rogers teamed with business partner John Y. In 1976, restaurateur Larry Ellman renamed his Steak & Brew chain Beefsteak Charlies, apparently after realizing that the name had never been trademarked. Old Country Buffet was founded in 1983 and instantly became popular among consumers. If you ever stopped at a Howard Johnsons, surely youll remember its signature Ipswich Clam Plate and grilled Frankforts. Youll also recall its funky sandwiches, such as sardine, cream cheese and olive, and the Western, which consisted of plain lettuce and mayonnaise on bread. The chain has been seeing a slow decline in revenue in the last ten years. Red Robin has been suffering financial hardship due to receiving fewer customers and the rising cost of labor. One of the countless mimics of McDonald's, Henry's Hamburgers was a major player in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. But the chain recently raised their prices by 10% to cover rising labor and food costs, driving away customers. This early chain, which began in Minneapolis in 1926 as a blatant White Castle knock-off (right down to the fake turrets), opened more than 120 locations before White Castle sued them in the early 1930s. Hometown Buffet had no other choice but to file for bankruptcy for the third time. All rights reserved. The 20 Restaurant Chains That No Longer Exist, Food Recalls: 6 Products You Should Throw Out Now, President Joe Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19, White House Announces, McDonald's Customer Goes Viral for Climbing Through Drive-Thru Window, Popeyes Introduces New Affordable Meal Deal, Dark Chocolate Bars Recalled Over Undeclared Allergens, 'Jeopardy! Many people loved the chain for its high-quality fresh food and great cocktails. Pieology currently has locations in 21 states, but many of these have faced closures in recent years. The chain is on the verge of closing for good. There is still one functioning location in San Francisco, but the chain once had 28 locations across the country. There are currently 500 locations left in the country. There are currently 700 locations across the U.S., with more of them closing every year.