Restaurant Death Watch

[roadman65]

Considering many chains have recently closed doors or close some underperforming stores due to the times we are in, let's start a thread similar to the Sears/ Kmart thread.

Recently Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy and has been closing restaurants in certain markets to keep the others alive and well they haven't shut down.

Hooters closed 43 stores recently as the economy placed demands on them to stay in business.

I also heard Applebees is closing some stores as well.

Of course, this is been going on for ages. The economy sucks, then it gets better, then sucks again only to get better, and so on.  So to me I would rather see some close than go out like Kmart where years later they can expand once the economy recovers. Although when one in your neighborhood closes it can be different despite you knowing it has to be. Especially when you are a regular customer it has some meaning as you lose a tradition sort of.

What other chains that have been doing well are next to close locations?

[Rothman]

Red Lobster is the only one that qualifies for the death watch, given that its decline was caused by entering into a bad deal with a holding company.

Going to be a long while before any of these chains hit a Friendly's-type of existence...

[hotdogPi]

Going to be a long while before any of these chains hit a Friendly's-type of existence...

I feel like Bertucci's is going that way, although I see nothing wrong with their service.

[SectorZ]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

[epzik8]

Going to be a long while before any of these chains hit a Friendly's-type of existence...

I feel like Bertucci's is going that way, although I see nothing wrong with their service.

My local Bertucci's is gone. Never went there in person, but they catered a work lunch of mine a couple of years ago.

[Rothman]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

Ah, Papa Gino's, where the roof of your mouth will never be the same.

[1995hoo]

Going to be a long while before any of these chains hit a Friendly's-type of existence...

I feel like Bertucci's is going that way, although I see nothing wrong with their service.

My local Bertucci's is gone. Never went there in person, but they catered a work lunch of mine a couple of years ago.

The one near us (Frontier Drive in Springfield) always looks crowded.

[roadman65]

The thing is money bd numbers. Just because a place is crowded doesn't pay the bills and stuff the CEOs wallet.

Whataburger in Orlando had crowds at the John Young location, but the hierarchy still closed them for underproduction.

[Road Hog]

The thing is money bd numbers. Just because a place is crowded doesn't pay the bills and stuff the CEOs wallet.

Whataburger in Orlando had crowds at the John Young location, but the hierarchy still closed them for underproduction.

Was it just a hangout for kids? That would explain low sales. Kids will order drinks and shakes, but probably not a double combo with cheese and other orders for a family.

[TheCatalyst31]

Ruby Tuesday feels like it's shrinking fast. I feel like they were pretty common 10-15 years ago, and now the closest one to me is five hours away. It's a shame, because I like their salad bar. (Salad bars in general feel like an endangered species in the post-pandemic world, speaking of which.)

[SEWIGuy]

Ruby Tuesday feels like it's shrinking fast. I feel like they were pretty common 10-15 years ago, and now the closest one to me is five hours away. It's a shame, because I like their salad bar. (Salad bars in general feel like an endangered species in the post-pandemic world, speaking of which.)

Yeah Ruby Tuesday has about half the locations they did 15 or so years ago. It's too bad because I liked them too.

Salad bars were dying off even before Covid. They are hard to maintain from a food safety perspective and I don't think there is as much demand as there used to be when most places will simply customize a side salad. "Hold the tomatoes."

[74/171FAN]

Salad bars were dying off even before Covid. They are hard to maintain from a food safety perspective and I don't think there is as much demand as there used to be when most places will simply customize a side salad. "Hold the tomatoes."

Well Cracker Barrel got rid of their side salad during C19 which is just another reason for me not to want to eat there.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

They're a local institution, but the quality of their pizza and restaurants had been declining for some time. Plus, they're in a region with plenty of better pizza options.

[Rothman]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

They're a local institution, but the quality of their pizza and restaurants had been declining for some time. Plus, they're in a region with plenty of better pizza options.

Their quality wasn't that great 40 years ago, either.

[SectorZ]

Ruby Tuesday feels like it's shrinking fast. I feel like they were pretty common 10-15 years ago, and now the closest one to me is five hours away. It's a shame, because I like their salad bar. (Salad bars in general feel like an endangered species in the post-pandemic world, speaking of which.)

I was surprised to learn I still had one left in Massachusetts.

[jgb191]

Maybe it's just me but seems like Luby's and Golden Corral have begun fading away since the start of this decade.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Maybe it's just me but seems like Luby's and Golden Corral have begun fading away since the start of this decade.

The pandemic really laid a smack down on buffet restaurants, especially in more restrictive states. A lot of places which had buffets that weren't the focus of the business model (e.g the rural KFC buffets) saw it as an excuse to eliminate them for good

[Ted$8roadFan]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

They're a local institution, but the quality of their pizza and restaurants had been declining for some time. Plus, they're in a region with plenty of better pizza options.

Their quality wasn't that great 40 years ago, either.

True enough, but customers weren't quite as discerning as they are now.

[Rothman]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

They're a local institution, but the quality of their pizza and restaurants had been declining for some time. Plus, they're in a region with plenty of better pizza options.

Their quality wasn't that great 40 years ago, either.

True enough, but customers weren't quite as discerning as they are now.

Not sure how you figure that.  My town in MA had a Papa Gino's for some years, but they eventually couldn't compete with other local pizzerias.  They also were across the hallway from a dying mall's AMC theater, so they only got the "Ugh, well, it's here and convenient" movie-going crowd.

Parallel to that, my old community is also quite proud of the fact that Cold Stone couldn't cut it due to the great ice cream already available in three local shops.

Feel bad for places where DQ or a soft-serve shop is all they've got or ever known.

[-- US 175 --]

Maybe it's just me but seems like Luby's and Golden Corral have begun fading away since the start of this decade.

The pandemic really laid a smack down on buffet restaurants, especially in more restrictive states. A lot of places which had buffets that weren't the focus of the business model (e.g the rural KFC buffets) saw it as an excuse to eliminate them for good

DFW/north TX has a lot fewer Luby's and Golden Corral locations now than before.  Several seniors in my Nextdoor group are upset that a nearby Luby's has closed in the last month.  A Chick-Fil-A is going in its place.

[SectorZ]

Locally for me, Papa Gino's has to be on a death watch. They declared chapter 11 a while back and they're just hanging on by a thread.

They're a local institution, but the quality of their pizza and restaurants had been declining for some time. Plus, they're in a region with plenty of better pizza options.

Their quality wasn't that great 40 years ago, either.

True enough, but customers weren't quite as discerning as they are now.

Not sure how you figure that.  My town in MA had a Papa Gino's for some years, but they eventually couldn't compete with other local pizzerias.  They also were across the hallway from a dying mall's AMC theater, so they only got the "Ugh, well, it's here and convenient" movie-going crowd.

Parallel to that, my old community is also quite proud of the fact that Cold Stone couldn't cut it due to the great ice cream already available in three local shops.

Feel bad for places where DQ or a soft-serve shop is all they've got or ever known.

I can agree with the "here and convenient" part on the pizza. I never even ate it much the two years I worked there. I liked some of the grill food more, especially stuff that was more made fresh. I had a store manager most of the time I was there that had so many off-menu concoctions that he taught us about and we sometimes made for the regular customers, and his ideas were better than the menu stuff.

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

By the time I was there, I also worked in one of the only locations that made the dough on site, and that ended shortly after I left. That had to help the taste of the pizza a bit at least. It doesn't help that the pizza is so hand made that your experience can vary, wildly, with whoever makes it.

[epzik8]

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

Microwave cooking should be illegal in and kind of restaurant. For "pre-cooking" I don't mind it.

[Rothman]

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

Microwave cooking should be illegal in and kind of restaurant. For "pre-cooking" I don't mind it.

Most chains just warm up their food.  Like Olive Garden.

[Scott5114]

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

Microwave cooking should be illegal in and kind of restaurant. For "pre-cooking" I don't mind it.

That would be incredibly silly; a microwave is a tool just like any other, it can lead to bad or good results depending who's using it and for what. Even the chefs on Food Network will use it if it's the best tool for the job. It's just that because it's easy to use, a lot of people use it for things it's not the best at, and that results in sucky results.

If a restaurant has bad food and you don't like it, don't give them money. If a restaurant has good food, give them money. If they use a microwave and the food is good, then why does it matter?

[SectorZ]

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

Microwave cooking should be illegal in and kind of restaurant. For "pre-cooking" I don't mind it.

That would be incredibly silly; a microwave is a tool just like any other, it can lead to bad or good results depending who's using it and for what. Even the chefs on Food Network will use it if it's the best tool for the job. It's just that because it's easy to use, a lot of people use it for things it's not the best at, and that results in sucky results.

If a restaurant has bad food and you don't like it, don't give them money. If a restaurant has good food, give them money. If they use a microwave and the food is good, then why does it matter?

I'm just shocked that in two years of microwaving pasta that not a single person questioned why something that takes 10-12 minutes to cook came out sometimes in 2 minutes.