Even the most famous restaurant chains hit hard times. In 2025, a number of giant brands have
faced major cutbacks and closures, proving that no name in food is too big to fail
More than 200 Domino's locations shut down that year, a number big enough to make headlines even for a global powerhouse
What is going on? This wasn't an across-the-board collapse of the brand so much as a crisis concentrated in one
market. According to Nations Restaurant News, all of the stores that closed were run by a single
franchisee Domino's Pizza Enterprises, and 172 of them were in Japan alone. The remaining 33
locations weren't specified, but were also under the same franchise umbrella. According to Domino's
Pizza Enterprises, many of these restaurants opened during the pandemic when delivery demand
was off the charts. Once life normalized, orders dropped and the newer shops couldn't keep up with
costs. Even if the closures mostly hit one international market under unusual circumstances
It's still rare to see such an iconic pizza chain shudder so many outlets at once
a reminder that even giants aren't bulletproof. Outback Steakhouse may have that rugged Aussie branding
When life gets hard, ordering Outback is easy. But according to the USDA, its steaks are actually a lower grade than some competitors
which also makes them cheaper. Thank you, Outback Steakhouse! Whether that's fair or not, diners just don't seem to be eating at Outback like they once did
and the chain's once-crowded dining rooms are starting to look a little emptier. In February 2024, Bloomin' Brands Inc. announced it would close 41 restaurants across all its
brands. Plenty of Outbacks were part of that first wave, a warning sign for a concept that
had once been a staple of suburban date nights and family dinners. And while Bloomin' hasn't
released a public count for 2025, reports and local news stories show closures continuing
across the U.S. Without an official list, it's unclear whether the restaurants shutting down
this year were part of the original plan or in addition to it. Either way, the cutbacks have
persisted, a sign that Outback's sizzle is fading just as its rivals try to reclaim the steakhouse
spotlight. The definition of the classic American diner concept, Denny's has long owned its 24-hour
niche. Its food may not win all the awards, but round-the-clock dining rooms and a huge number of
affordable staples made it a chain restaurant icon. In 2025, though, that niche got smaller
as Denny's announced plans to shutter 70 to 90 locations. That trajectory actually began in 2024
when the company closed 88 restaurants, the first wave of what was then expected to be 150 closures
by the end of 2025 according to USA Today But at the start of this year the number of planned shutdowns went up According to the company executive vice president and chief global development officer many of the targeted restaurants were simply old Either the cost of remodeling was too high or demand in their
neighborhoods has faded, making it more practical to close rather than adapt. Guess it's going to be
harder to hunt down a moons over Miami. Dairy Queen has always occupied a unique niche in fast
food. The main draw is its dessert menu, but customers can also order hot entrees like burgers
and chicken strips. You dip chicken too? Wow, you guys dip a lot of stuff around here
Still, burgers aren't exactly DQ's specialty, and in 2025, that lack of focus may have caught
up with the brand. The chain shuttered more than 30 locations in Texas. All those Texas stores were
operated by the same franchisee. According to court documents, a dispute over remodeling
requirements loomed large. Dairy Queen allegedly warned that franchise rights could be terminated
if upgrades weren't completed. Even so, it's hard to imagine the owner giving up so many restaurants
if sales had been booming. While the closures were concentrated in one market, the takeaway is clear
Financial pressures were a major factor. In March 2025, the casual dining chain Red Robin announced
plans to close between 10 and 15 restaurants, only the first step in a broader move to shutter
as many as 70 locations over five years, timing each closure with the end of a lease
Someone once said, all good things must come to an end. The reason? Revenue was down, and losses were up in 2024, so underperforming stores are being cut
loose. But there's a silver lining. Same-store sales, foot traffic, and customer satisfaction
scores have all been climbing. Red Robin is betting that a leaner footprint will mean stronger
results. If the strategy works, the current round of closures could end up fueling a full-on
revitalization rather than signaling decline, a reminder that in casual dining, fewer restaurants
doesn't always mean less success. While only around in some regions, Del Taco can be a viable
Taco Bell alternative, and many Californians prefer it. Jack in the Box purchased Del Taco
in 2021, seemingly poised to take the regional chain nationwide. That hasn't fully materialized
As of 2025, Del Taco operates in 19 states and has seen a wave of closures, some permanent
others temporary. Every Del Taco in Colorado but one closed in February. By mid-July
five of the 17 shuttered spots had reopened under corporate ownership. At least one closed for good
In Atlanta, seven locations shut down after a franchisee filed for bankruptcy. The company
announced plans to sublease those restaurants, but by mid-August, they were still without lessees
While some of the closures may not last forever, 2025 left a sizable number of customers without
their local Del Tacos On the surface the Del Taco closures in Colorado and Atlanta looked like franchisee problems but in 2025 its parent company Jack in the Box was struggling too and owning Del Taco
didn't help. In April, Jack in the Box announced plans to sell Del Taco, admitting the chain
wouldn't boost its business for years to come after a 3.6% sales drop. At the same time
Jack in the Box revealed it would close around 10% of its 2,000-plus locations
The first wave alone meant shutting 80 to 120 stores before the end of 2025
The company's stock price had already fallen 57% that year, so drastic action felt necessary
As you can imagine, fans are just hoping that the home of their Jack in the Box will stay open
By late 2025, the future of both brands was still up in the air
It sucks to hear that, but I hope this one right here in Claremont stays open because I've been using that one forever
These closures could mark a turnaround or the start of a longer slump. Either way, both chains will enter 2026 with fewer restaurants than before
In casual sit-down dining, Chili's was 2025's breakout success. Its changes weren't a reaction
to weak sales but an adaptation to viral buzz — a kind of modern Cinderella story for chain
restaurants. TGI Friday's, once just as recognizable, had the opposite experience. Its year was as bleak as Chili's was bright. According to CNN, the downturn began in 2024
when Friday's still ran about 270 U.S. locations. By the end of that year, it had filed for
bankruptcy and shut roughly 100 restaurants, sending a shockwave through fans of the striped
shirt decor and endless appetizers. Closures continued into 2025, cutting its footprint to
about 85 stores by mid-year, including 30 that disappeared in April alone. TGI Friday's risks
becoming a relic after losing nearly half its U.S. location since early 2025. Yet all hope isn't lost
In September 2025, the company announced plans to open 50 new international restaurants in Peru
and Japan, a bold gamble that could either eclipse its domestic losses or spark an overseas-fueled
comeback. In March of 2025, Hooters made headlines when it announced a dramatic plan
to revamp its longtime business model. Do Hooters girls make your beer stay colder and your wings
taste better? Yes, they do. The strategy was to trade that for a more family-friendly atmosphere
an upgraded menu, and better food quality. Naturally, a company doesn't pivot that hard
unless business is down and the brand needs a serious refresh. Along with that March announcement
came a bankruptcy filing. At the time, executives reassured fans that the financial restructuring
wouldn't mean losing restaurants, but by June, reality caught up. More than 30 hooters across
multiple states quietly shut their doors, turning what was supposed to be a clean reinvention into
a string of headlines about closures The truth is the trouble had started before 2025 A wave of store closures had already begun in 2024 so the new shutdowns were really a continuation of an existing slide
And when the Hooters at Las Vegas' Oyo Hotel and Casino, formerly the Hooters Hotel and Casino
itself, went dark in August, it underscored how rocky the road had become. Heading into the final
quarter of 2025, it was clear the chain's much-touted revitalization still had a long way to go
On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina built its name on Tex-Mex staples like fajitas and
margaritas. But in 2025, like almost every casual sit-down chain not named Chili's
it hit a wall. A big one. In March 2025, the chain filed for bankruptcy
after already closing a number of locations. Later that month, it announced it would shut
down more than 70 restaurants in total, wiping out the vast majority of its footprint. Where it
couldn't simply let leases expire, On the Border asked the court for permission to break them
A company representative summed up the cause in simple economic terms. An increasing number of consumers now prefer to eat at home instead of dining out
For a brand built on sit-down Tex-Mex, that shift has been brutal, leaving its once-crowded cantinas looking emptier than ever
As its name makes clear, noodles are the noodles and company chain's specialty
From Italian pastas to Asian staples, the menu covers a lot of ground
At the start of 2025, the chain ran more than 400 restaurants across the U.S.
but declining sales meant a fair number had to close. According to USA Today, in August 2025
Noodles & Company announced the downsizing alongside its second-quarter finances. Losses were up, revenue was down, and between 28 and 32 company-owned stores were marked for
closure. Around that same time, six restaurants shut their doors, but one new store opened
proving the brand isn't quite done growing yet. The news came after a menu revamp and a change
in leadership, with a new CEO now in place. Fans of the chain's variety of noodle dishes may yet
see a comeback even if 2025 left the company smaller. In September 2023, Fat Brands bought
Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill for $30 million. The chain specializes in all things meat
from barbecue classics like brisket and ribs to burgers and steaks. Less than two years later
Smokey Bones hit a rough patch. Fat Brands began planning to convert most of its restaurants into
Twin Peaks, a Hooters-style competitor that's been growing as Hooters declines. At the start of 2025, Smokey Bones still had 54 locations. Nine closed in March
and in June, fat brands announced it would flip 30 of the remaining 45 into Twin Peaks
That process will likely continue into 2026. Even by the end of 2025, Smokey Bones
once marketed as a high-energy barbecue chain, is set to be only a shadow of its former self