Wendy’s, Denny’s, Red Lobster shut locations in 2024 

A harsh yr for the eating institution sector led a number of chains to close underperforming locations in 2024, as they try to boost their gross sales within the years forward.

Inflation- fatigued prospects drew again their eating institution investing in 2024 and somewhat appeared for value and low cost charges after they did choose to eat exterior their houses. Overall united state eating institution test outs succumbed to the preliminary 10 months of the yr, in line with data from sector tracker Black Box Intelligence.

The lower in eating institution investing caused weak gross sales and an increase in insolvencies for the sector. Twenty- 6 eating institution enterprise declared Chapter 11 insolvency protection in 2024, virtually triple the number of filings in 2020, all through the elevation of the pandemic.

With couple of exemptions, casual-dining chains particularly had a tough time to attract in customers, together with within the sector’s difficulties which have really put in as a result of theGreat Recession Since the surge of fast-casual chains, a number of eating places have really chosen the profit and warranted fine quality of avid gamers like Chipotle or Sweetgreen over the casual-dining chains that managed within the earlier years.

Here are the eating institution chains that exposed closures in 2024:

In late October, Wendy’s introduced it might shutter 140 underperforming places by the top of the yr, along with the roughly 80 closures it had within the first three quarters.

Executives made the choice to prune some outdated eating places that had annual unit volumes of about $1 million every to enhance the corporate’s general footprint.

Despite the closures, the corporate expects to finish 2024 with an unchanged restaurant depend, due to its new restaurant openings, Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner instructed buyers on the corporate’s third-quarter earnings convention name.

In May, Applebee’s mother or father, Dine Brands, mentioned it deliberate to shutter between 25 and 35 of the model’s U.S. places. By late September, Applebee’s international unit depend had fallen by 36 places in contrast with the year-ago interval.

Applebee’s same-store gross sales have declined for the final six straight quarters, in line with firm filings.

Dine Brands, which additionally owns IHOP, has closed extra shops than it has opened yearly since 2016, except 2022.

Denny’s closed about 50 places in 2024 and plans to shutter a further 100 eating places by the top of 2025. Including this yr’s closures, the 24-hour diner chain nonetheless has roughly 1,300 open places.

The eating places marked for closure are within the decrease third of the chain’s performers, with annual unit volumes of $1.9 million to $2 million, executives mentioned on the firm’s investor day in October. Once these eating places shutter, Denny’s expects that each its same-store gross sales and annual unit volumes will enhance. In its newest quarter, the chain’s same-store gross sales had been roughly flat.

After 2025, Denny’s plans to open between 45 and 50 internet new places yearly.

In November, TGI Fridays joined the slew of restaurant firms that filed for chapter safety. But earlier than it filed for Chapter 11, it shuttered 86 eating places, beginning with 36 closures in January and one other 50 in late October.

The final spherical of closures took the chain’s footprint right down to roughly 160 open places worldwide. But the depend may dwindle extra. A chapter court docket in Texas will decide TGI Fridays’ future, which may imply closures for the chain.

Fast-casual chain Noodles & Co. introduced in August that it might shut roughly 20 places after reviewing its complete 475-restaurant footprint.

The evaluation was a part of the corporate’s efforts to enhance its operations and funds after a rocky few years. Noodles & Co. has additionally been overhauling its menu, reducing gadgets that don’t promote and including new entrees that may attraction to extra prospects.

But the turnaround will take time. In its newest quarter, the corporate mentioned same-store gross sales fell 3.3%.

Bloomin’ Brands, the mother or father firm of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and Bonefish Grill, shuttered 41 underperforming eating places in 2024.

The closures affected older places with leases relationship again to the Nineties and early 2000s, executives mentioned on the corporate’s earnings convention name in February. To make the choice, the corporate weighed the places’ gross sales and site visitors, in addition to the price of investments to enhance the places. Most of the closures had been Outback places.

Like many different casual-dining firms, Bloomin’ has struggled to develop gross sales in latest quarters. Its U.S. same-store gross sales fell 1.5% within the third quarter.