65 Restaurant Chains That Are Quickly Disappearing

Fast-casual dining used to be a big draw for hungry customers, but thanks to new innovations like food delivery apps, customers are frequenting these restaurant chains a lot less.

Sadly, many of these restaurants have closed their doors thanks in part to diminishing demand and partially due to other circumstances. It’s possible that in coming years, some of these huge restaurant chains may be a thing of the past.

Applebee’s

Applebee’s has been around since 1980 after their first location opened its doors. The restaurant chain was doing very well initially, but over time, they started seeing a decline in sales that wasn’t improving. The chain had no other choice but to close more than 120 of its locations.

The owner of Applebee’s, Dine Brands, tried different methods to attract customers, such as offering healthier options, a new delivery method, and even serving $1 cocktails. Unfortunately, none of these had worked, and the chain is likely to close another 20 locations this year.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill

Owned by Bloomin’ Brands, Carrabba’s Italian Grill was founded in 1986 in Houston, Texas. The family-style Italian restaurant chain gained popularity and opened many new branches in the country.

All seemed to be going well for Carrabba’s Italian Grill until they started noticing a decline in sales. Fewer and fewer customers showed up at the restaurant, and Bloomin’ Brands had to close locations with the lowest performance. This year, 43 locations were closed.

Sbarro

Sbarro has been around for 20 years. At first, the chain proved to be very successful, but their revenue started to decline as the years went by. Customers claim the sudden drop in sales has to do with the quality of the food, especially their pizza.

Sbarro has another significant disadvantage – it doesn’t deliver. Most of the restaurants are located in food courts, and since shopping malls are becoming a thing of the past, the chain is suffering. Several hundreds of its locations were closed, including the famous one in Times Square.

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday was founded in 1972. Many people loved the chain for its high-quality fresh food and great cocktails. As time went by, the chain began lowering its standards, and the customers noticed the sudden drop in food quality.

Ruby Tuesday was no longer associated with unique cocktails and fresh meals. Between 2018 and 2020, the chain closed 76 of its locations. Owned by NRD Capital, Ruby Tuesday made a statement regarding its future, claiming they will make it as long as they “deliver on the basics.”