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Gotta hanker in for Hardee's? Wish you were
at Wendy's? Well, uh, bad news. Because these

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iconic chains are about to become a whole lot less iconic. Blumen Brands
is the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, and

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Bonefish Grill. Founded in 1988 in Tampa,
Florida, this is one of the largest companies

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of its type, with about 1,450 restaurants under
its umbrella. Yet, despite that impressive

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size, the business is closing some of its
locations this year. Beginning in 2025, Blumen

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closed 21 restaurants across its three brands.
It also announced plans to refrain from renewing

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leases for 22 additional restaurants starting
in 2026 and continuing through 2030. However

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the company hasn't specifically indicated
where and when these closures will take place

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prompting concern from employees and customers. If the
boss like you give them two weeks' notice when you quit

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why you not give them two weeks' notice before they can find one job?
Overall, customers are sad to see these brands leave their communities

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Speaking about Outback, one Reddit user said, I ate there
monthly as a tradition with my family after I left for college

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We recently started taking my boys, and they loved it. I'm not saying
it's the highest quality, but man, my family enjoyed a lot of meals there

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RIP. Want to hear something delicious? Founded in 1951, Jack
in the Box provides an extensive menu and service for 18 to 24

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hours a day at over 2,200 locations. In addition to burgers and
those iconic curly fries, this fast food mainstay also offers

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tacos, milkshakes, and chicken sandwiches. But even Jack has faced
his fair share of financial challenges, forcing the company to

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unveil its Jack-on-Track strategy in
2025 to help improve the bottom line

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While there are several different aspects to this plan, Jack in the Box has
announced that it plans to close 150 to 200 restaurants and sell its Del Taco brand

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Consequently, 80 to 120 stores were scheduled
to close between April 2025 and the end of

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that year, while the rest will likely occur in
2026, though a time frame in exact locations

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were not specifically identified. These closures also don't
include the company's ongoing annual closure rate of 1% either

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which begins in 2026. One franchise owner in Arizona noted
on Reddit that they had to close four restaurants due to

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expiring franchise agreements and ADA-compliant renovations. Perhaps most critically, customers
on Reddit seem to agree that the food quality at Jack in the Box has been lacking lately

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but that doesn't mean there isn't some sadness over the closures. Since 1969,
Wendy's has been famous for its legendary square burgers and Frosty desserts

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These days though sales haven been growing nearly as much as the company would like Hey where the
beef I don think there anybody back there In November 2025 Wendy reported sales of roughly billion

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which represents an annual decrease of 2.6%. Shrinking sales may be
part of the reason why Wendy's consequently announced that it would be

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closing a small percentage of its more than 6,000
restaurants, with struggling outlets first on the

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chopping block. On the other hand, interim CEO Ken
Cook has insisted that improvements will be made

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to some restaurants, including changes to
equipment and the overall customer experience

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In other cases, the company will transfer ownership to a different operator.
Unfortunately for Wendy's, the problem may run deeper than some outdated kitchen gear

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As one Reddit user writes, the issue is it's price the same
as a Chili's or Applebee's or Texas Roadhouse burger now

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With more than 1,650 locations worldwide,
Denny's has more than made its mark on the

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casual dining scene, offering countless customers
a range of beloved country-style breakfasts

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In recent years, however, the company has
faced some serious financial challenges

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leading to restructuring and restaurant closings.
I mean, it's literally ran into the ground

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and it's so sad because Denny's is not a bad company. These changes
began in 2025, when Denny's HQ shut down around 100 restaurants

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with more planned to close in 2026. Denny's
hasn't made an official announcement as to how

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many locations will be closing this year, and
it's notable that many of the closures so far

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in states such as Michigan and Texas, have come without warning. Additional
changes to the Denny's formula may occur later in 2026. The company was

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acquired by a number of capital investment groups in
a $620 million deal that was finalized in January

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2026. Subsequently, the company's CEO, Kelly
Vallade, stepped down in February. While it

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remains to be seen how the brand will change
going forward, it's clear that the closures have

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elicited varying reactions from longtime customers.
One Reddit user said that they will miss Denny's

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because it allowed their pregnant wife to get breakfast anytime she had a craving.
Meanwhile, another Reddit user highlighted some of the company's issues, writing

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"...they got way too expensive. You can get better
food at the same price or cheaper elsewhere.

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Famous for its range of cheesecakes, duh, The Cheesecake Factory
is a casual dining chain that offers a truly expansive menu

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The brand began back in 1972, when Evelyn Overton
and her husband opened the Cheesecake Factory

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Bakery in Los Angeles. Since then, this well-known
chain has become a popular spot for lunch or

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dinner not to mention you know the obvious Sadly The Cheesecake Factory has been struggling in some markets and at the beginning of 2026 the company began quietly closing some restaurants
across a number of states So far there been no announcement concerning further closures although customers on social media have been speculating about the brand permanent closure

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for years. Founded all the way back in 1960,
Hardee's has since become renowned for its

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scratch-made biscuits and hand-battered chicken
tenders, as well as its unique offerings of burgers

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and fries. But a recent lawsuit filed against
franchisee Ark Burger, due to missing payments

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for royalties, training fees, rent, taxes, and
more, has forced numerous Hardee's locations to

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close in 2026. Ark Burger shuttered at least 77
Hardee's locations across eight states in January

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alone, although some industry experts indicate
that Hardee's could reopen some of the closed

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restaurants once the lawsuit is settled.
Elsewhere, there's been no word on whether

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other Hardee's locations may close in 2026. That
said, the company has shut up shop in a number of

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places in recent years. In 2023, it closed at
least 40 locations due to the bankruptcy of

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another franchisee. And in 2024, Hardee's closed
at least eight other restaurants. Locations in a

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further seven cities were closed down in 2025, too,
so it's safe to say that it's not looking good for

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2026. I'll have a salad. Try again. I'll have the
burger. Red Robin has been dealing out burgers and

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bottomless fries to a base of loyal followers
for decades, but it, too, has hopped aboard the

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struggle bus in recent years. For instance, the
company announced that it was considering closing

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70 restaurants in 2025 to help curtail some of its
losses. For a while, though, the implementation

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of the company's Big Yum Value Mill program
seemed to turn things around. This news led Red

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Robin to walk back its plans to close many
of those locations. By the beginning of 2026

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however, Red Robin was suddenly closing restaurants again, often without warning.
The company has not yet announced if additional restaurants will be closed

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in 2026. Noodles & Company is a fast-casual
restaurant chain that specializes in preparing

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made-to-order noodle dishes. Sadly, after
struggling in some areas of the country

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the chain is closing underperforming restaurants in order to refocus and rebuild.
This new approach began in 2025, with the shuttering of 33 company-owned restaurants

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and nine franchises. Corporate has since
announced plans to close between 30 and 35

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additional restaurants across the United States in
2026. Joe Cristina, the company's chief executive

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officer and president, told investors the goal is
to focus on the restaurants that are most likely

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to thrive. He also speculated that closing the
initial 30 or so restaurants helped the company

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achieve an increase of 6 in system comparable sales in the fourth quarter of 2025 Longtime customers and employees alike have mixed
opinions about the closures however Some Reddit users feel they long overdue for a struggling company while others are deeply disappointed

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Known for its damn good tacos, hand-pressed
tortillas, and specialty queso, Torchy's Tacos

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is a customer favorite in many areas. Yet,
despite the restaurant's popularity, its sales

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have been struggling, and the company has
shut a number of locations in 2026 so far

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Damn good food, hot-fire strains, and
a damn good excuse to clock out early

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The goal is to zero in on the restaurants and its high-performing markets and improve
customer experience. In a statement published by Restaurant Business, a representative said

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We're confident these moves will put us in
the strongest position for sustainable growth

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moving forward. Customers on Reddit don't
seem too surprised that some of their local

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Torchy's establishments are closing, noting that
the quality and service have faltered lately

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As one customer put it, They've gone downhill fast. Every
single time we order, something is wrong with the order

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and reporting it doesn't do anything.
It's a shame, but not a surprise either

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Like so many other casual dining chains, Smokey
Bones has experienced less-than-stellar growth

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lately, and the company filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy in early 2026. This has led the

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company to shutter dozens of Smokey Bones
restaurants so far. Depending on how the

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bankruptcy plays out, industry experts speculate
that the chain could shut down altogether

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This would mean the closure of all Smokey
Bones locations, or at the very least

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a conversion to Twin Peaks Lodges. As this
brand is owned by the same parent company

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Twin Hospitality Group. To date, there are only
about 20 Smokey Bones locations left operating

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Houlihan's is a casual dining restaurant and
bar that, once upon a time, was truly thriving

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In 2026, however, the chain has been
quietly closing some of its restaurants

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often very suddenly. One restaurant closure
in Savannah, Georgia had some Reddit users

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up in arms since workers were put out of work with no warning at all.
Industry experts indicate that Houlihan's, which got its start in 1972

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had as many as 140 locations at its peak. Now, it
has fewer than two dozen listed on its website

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These closures may have something to do with the
fact that the company has filed for bankruptcy

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on multiple locations, and according to some
Reddit users, these closures make sense in many

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ways. One user said, "...I've always assumed once you become
an early bird, older crowd spot, your time is ticking.

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Meanwhile, another Reddit user said they liked
going to Houlihan's because they could always

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get in on a Friday night, which, when you think about it,
might explain why that particular location is no longer open