Major Italian restaurant chain closes hundreds of locations nationwide, report says

Romano’s Macaroni Grill, a Texas-born restaurant chain, has had a difficult time of late, with fewer than 10 locations still operating, according to PennLive.com, an SILive.com sister site, which studied the chain after recent closings in Pennsylvania.

Last week, a Romano’s Macaroni Grill closed its doors in southern Pennsylvania, according to the outlet.

The chain once had more than 200 locations and now only nine reportedly remain open. Romano’s Macaroni Grill offers both a set menu and a make-your-own-pasta bowl. Guests can take a provided sheet and check off what they want for pasta, sauce and toppings, usually for under $20.

Phil Romano, an Italian-American, founded the chain, opening the first restaurant in Leon Springs, Texas, in 1988.

The chain has struggled financially through the years, emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018.

Recently, Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurants in Sacramento, California, Reno, Nevada, and San Antonio, Texas, have closed.

A review of current information by Pennlive.com suggested many restaurant locations still listed on the restaurant’s website are, in fact, closed.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill did not respond to a request for comment by Pennlive.com.

Here are the last nine remaining locations, according to the news outlet:

Orlando International Airport, Florida

Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Illinois