Restaurant Chain Owner Now Announces Unexpected Closures

January 17, 2024

A restaurant chain owner now announces unexpected closures as one of its businesses permanently shutters after a decade in business.

The restaurant chain, with 170 outlets and linked to the famous Outback Steakhouse, is now closing the Bonefish Grill establishment in Boise, Idaho.

It had been a staple in the city for 15 years before closing on January 14, per BoiseDev.

Workers have been left saddened by the closure.

“We’re all sad about it. I’ve been working here for 14 years,” Ahmad Alharbyah, an assistant manager, told The Idaho Statesman.

The restaurant is saying bye for now, per a sign stuck on the door.

But, execs teased that the chain may still have a future in Idaho as they are reportedly looking at other buildings.

Alharbyah said the building’s rent had increased and there had been issues regarding the lease.

Bonefish Grill, a chain with more than 170 locations, has been owned by the Florida company Bloomin’ Brands since 2001.

Bonefish Grill has a presence in dozens of states across the US.

The chain has more than 40 restaurants in Florida alone.

Bonefish Grill has a restaurant at the Rockville Centre in New York, and establishments in Secaucus, Paramus, and Iselin, New Jersey.

Last year, Bonefish Grill reported several restaurant closures.

In June, its restaurant on the waterfront in Naples Bay, Florida shuttered after opening in 2008.

The restaurant suffered damage following Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022 and never reopened, per Naples Daily News.

And in March 2023, the Bonefish Grill in Cordova, Tennessee – east of Memphis – also shuttered.

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Three massive restaurant chains now begin closing locations as executives state plunging sales are the primary blame.

TGI Friday’s, Chili’s, and Hooters, are closing a total of 38 locations nationwide, reports The-Sun.

Bosses have cited a slump in sales as a reason for the closures, but some customers blame other issues.

TGI Fridays shocked the restaurant business earlier this month when it announced the closure of 36 locations nationwide.

The decision affects restaurants in 12 different states, including seven locations in New Jersey, six in Massachusetts, and five in New York.

President and COO of TGI Fridays Ray Risley described the closures as “opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations” in a press release.

Many of the restaurants have already closed, with signs on the doors informing customers that their old eatery is now gone.

Meanwhile, competitor Chili’s has closed down one restaurant this month.

Diners enjoyed their last meals at the location in the Arboretum shopping center in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 9.

The reason for the closure has been attributed to an expiring lease, a spokesperson for the restaurant chain told the Charlotte Observer.

But locals on a Reddit community for Charlotte have said the location was repeatedly understaffed.

“Not surprising,” wrote one former customer.

“Randomly stopped at this location a few months ago… they were turning people away at the door because the only wait staff they had was the bartender.”

The “breastaurant” industry is not immune to closures either, as Hooters in Lafayette, Louisiana, suddenly closed down this week.

The shutdown was completely out of the blue, with employees showing up to work on Tuesday, January 9 only to find out they no longer had a job.

One employee told local ABC affiliate KATC: “Managers didn’t mention anything.

“As far as I know, our managers didn’t know about the situation. It was a complete shock.”

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