These are really hard times for lots of restaurants. The ravaging effects of the pandemic are still being felt across the industry, and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future. The unpredictable state of the economy worries consumers. Some people are fretting, tending to hunker down, and thinking carefully before dining out. Eating establishments’ rent, food, and labor costs are extremely high.
Put all of that together, and you have a perfect storm of challenges that threaten to sink some restaurants for good. That said, the outlook for one chain, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, seems pretty murky at the moment.
It has evidently fallen victim to the times. The Texas-based chain specializing in Italian cuisine was launched 37 years ago, per Nation’s Restaurant News. The number of its locations has dwindled significantly over the years. Per the outlet via The Street, there may now be merely a handful – nine to be exact – of its locations still operating. However, the restaurant’s web site presently lists 17, in California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.
Macaroni Grill had “219 locations in 2004,” per the outlet. Five years later, that number was reduced to 207. According to the outlet, “From 2009 to 2014, nearly 50 locations were shuttered. Macaroni Grill finished 2014 with 158 locations and $466.8 million in sales. In 2017, the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection….”
The chain eventually overcame some of its hardships following an infusion of capital and “renegotiating leases.” But unfortunately, Macaroni Grill’s slide still continued. By 2019, only 85 of its locations remained open. That number was more than cut in half just two years later. As of 2021, only 41 Macaroni Grill locations existed.
Many Chains Are Currently Navigating Difficulties
The outlet cites Noodles & Company, Denny’s, Wendy’s, Bloomin’ Brands, and Jack in the Box among the chains making an effort to surmount problems like “sustained consumer pullback on restaurant visits.” They have made the painful decision to shutter some locations simply to stay afloat a while longer. Others, like K&W Cafeteria and Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, have unfortunately vanished from the landscape entirely.
Dining and Cooking