Burger Chain With 31 Washington Locations Is Closing 70 Stores

COVID-19 reared its ugly head five years ago. Since then, we’ve seen a trend of long-standing restaurant brands with decades of success that have begun to fall.

If you think back a little, you'll probably recall very clearly how Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, Denny's, Ruby Tuesday, California Pizza Kitchen, Chuck E. Cheese, and others filed for bankruptcy protection and began closing what they called "under-performing" locations to keep the company afloat.

Other chains, such as Wendy's, Burger King, and Outback Steakhouse, have not filed for bankruptcy protection but have closed locations to lower their footprint and increase their chances of survival.

Now, we've got another chain to add to the list of those closing locations but not looking for bankruptcy protection:

Red Robin Is Now The Latest Restaurant Chain To Make The Move To Shutter Underperforming Locations To Deal With Losses And Financial Difficulties

According to Fox News, Red Robin announced that it is:

Weighing plans to potentially close 70 locations once their leases expire as it attempts to turn around its operations. The company closed one location in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2024 and recorded a loss of $32.4 million, mainly from the "review of underperforming restaurants."

Red Robin Has 498 Restaurants in North America.

Red Robin's first location opened in September of 1969 by the University Bridge in Seattle. Today, 31 Red Robin locations are still operating in Washington.

What will happen to the current Red Robin locations in 2025?

Corporate Red Robin leaders aim to improve customer experience and encourage one-time regulars to return. However, due to their poor financial standing, underperforming restaurants must close to keep the brand afloat.

When will we see Red Robin locations close?

While no closure timeline has been announced, experts suggest closures coming by mid-2025.