TGI Friday’s and Jack In The Box among burger joints closing locations in shock moves dominating shutdowns in 2025
BURGER chains are facing tough times as economic pressures are forcing iconic spots to shutter.
Rising inflation, labor shortages, and fierce competition are forcing iconic US brands to close their doors at an alarming rate.
As a result, once-thriving restaurants are grappling to stay afloat.
As more chains pull back, consumers are feeling the squeeze, with some favorites fading into the background.
Among the casualties are TGI Fridays and Jack in the Box, both of which have made shocking cuts to their restaurant count this year.
TGI Fridays, which debuted in New York in 1965, once had 386 locations across the country.
Read More on Restaurants
But by March 2025, only 123 remained.
After filing for its first bankruptcy in 2020, the chain struggled to regain its footing before a second filing last fall.
In January, it closed its final four Las Vegas locations, marking the end of an era in Sin City.
The closures don’t stop there.
Most read in Money
The company has axed more than 30 locations in states like New York, Ohio, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania, with more axings on the horizon.
This follows a wave of shutdowns in 2024 that saw nearly 100 restaurants wiped away.
In a bid to reduce its debt, TGI Friday’s was allowed to sell off nine locations in January, shedding $34 million in liabilities.
SIMILAR POSITION
On the fast-food side, Jack in the Box isn’t immune.
Though the chain has opened new locations, it’s also closing stores that aren’t pulling their weight.
In February 2025, the company shut down six underperforming outlets but countered that with the opening of five new locations in areas it believes will perform better.
Restaurant closures in 2024
BOSSES at major dining chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of the chain's affected.
- Cracker Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina, and Sacramento, California, have closed.
- Mod Pizza: Bosses dramatically shuttered 27 shops in April, including some in the state of California.
- Frisch's Big Boy: Restaurant chiefs confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky in April.
- Outback Steakhouse: The chain will shutter 41 'underperforming' locations this year.
- Two Bucks: Four restaurants in Ohio closed in April.
- Chili's: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has shut permanently as well as one in Irvine, California, and one in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
- Friendly's: Bosses confirmed an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island will close.
- Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March, followed by four in Ohio in June and 15 in Indiana. This was followed in July by a bankruptcy filing from its parent company which announced the closure of 150 locations.
- Carl's Jr.: The first Boise, Idaho location has closed.
- In-N-Out: An Oakland location closed earlier in the year due to crime in the area.
- Cheesecake Factory: The chain is set to shutter a location in Memphis, Tennessee in July.
- Applebee's: Announced the closure of between 25 and 35 locations this year.
- Red Lobster: The seafood chain filed for bankruptcy in May and shuttered over 100 locations.
- Taco John's: Shuttered a restaurant in Minnesota and put the building up for sale in May.
- Frisco's Chicken: The poultry restaurant shuttered all of its locations over the summer
- Rubio's Coastal Grill: Has announced the closure of 48 locations in California after filing for bankruptcy.
- Burger King: Shuttered a location in California in June after 30 years.
- Foster's Freeze: Shuttered a location in California after five decades in business due to financial struggles.
- Chicken Salad Chick: After nine years the restaurant shuttered one location in Jacksonville, Florida, with no reason given.
- México Lindo: The New York City-based restaurant announced its final day after 52 years and finally shuttered its doors for good on July 31.
- American Dream Pizza: Closed all of its locations in Oregon in July.
- Tender Greens: The Southern California-based chain filed for bankruptcy.
- Lefty's Famous Cheesesteaks, Hoagies, & Grill: Abruptly shuttered 18 locations in July due to a family feud.
- Firehouse Subs: Shuttered a location in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State over the summer citing "unforeseen circumstances"
- Taco Time: The Taco Bell rival shuttered a location in Seattle after 50 years following a death in the franchise owner's family.
- Burgerim: Shuttered a location in Burlington, Massachusetts in July, reigniting bankruptcy fears from 2020.
- Denny's: The chain has shuttered over 40 locations so far this year with the owner of the one outlet blaming vandalism.
- Starbucks: The chain shuttered one of its most iconic locations in New York City after almost three decades with fans blaming crime. It also lost a location in Seattle.
- Subway: In August, the sandwich chain shuttered over 20 locations across the US and Canada after a franchisee lost money after being a victim of fraud.
- IHOP: A restaurant in New Hampshire shut its doors after 24 years, leaving four locations in the state.
- Switchback Coffee Roasters: The popular chain filed for bankruptcy in August after over a decade in business.
- Jimmy John's: The sandwich shop chain shuttered a location in Nevada on August 19 after 12 years citing overexpansion issues.
- KFC: Closed the remaining three locations in Rockford, Illinois all on the same day on August 19. In total, it closed six locations across four cities in Illinois.
- Rusty Bucket: The chicken shop chain confirmed it would officially leave Florida as it announced a handful of closures including in Sarasota and Ohio.
- Buca di Beppo: The Olive Garden rival abruptly shuttered 44 locations across five states before filing for bankruptcy.
- Red Robin: Announced the closure of its Ashburn, Virginia location on August 25 after 15 years in business.
- Noodles & Company: Shuttered dozens of locations due to their contribution to around $2 million worth of losses.
- Shoney's: The classic American-style food chain founded in 1947 officially exited Ohio after three decades of business as it reduced its operational footprint.
- Homegrown: The sandwich chain based in Seattle announced the closure of 10 locations leaving 150 employees in the lurch.
- World of Beer: Filed for bankruptcy after closing 14 outlets.
- Arby's: The chain announced a number of closures this year including in Lexington, Kentucky, Akron, Ohio,
- Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Shuttered a location in New Jersey in July, leaving just two in the state, followed by the closure of a Baltimore location in August.
- Hart House: Shutterd all four locations in California in September just two years after the vegan fast-food restaurant chain was launched by actor and comedian Kevin Hart.
Founded in 1951, the San Diego-based chain has faced hurdles in recent years, including a slight dip in sales by the end of 2024.
Despite this, Jack in the Box is sticking to its strategy of balancing closures with expansion, hoping to secure its future.
Pressure stemming from labor shortages, changing consumer behavior, increased competition from delivery services and ghost kitchens, inflation, and rising costs all play a role.
"On one hand, it's more expensive to operate restaurants due to higher wages and food costs," retail expert Mitchell Olsen previously told The U.S. Sun.
"On the other hand, it's becoming increasingly difficult to pass those higher operating expenses on to diners with ever-increasing menu prices," he explained.
STRUGGLES CONTINUE
Restaurant chains have struggled to stay afloat as diners pull back on their spending, with roughly one-third of Americans claiming to have cut back on fast food, sit-downs, and delivery last year, per the Ipsos Consumer Tracker.
As restaurants' profits drop, revenue losses have pushed many to conduct mass closures.
Meanwhile, Wahlburgers, which has long relied on partnerships with supermarkets, is facing its own setbacks.
In January, Hy-Vee, the Midwestern grocery chain, announced the closure of 79 in-store Wahlburgers locations, replacing them with its own Market Grille concept, per Restaurant Business Magazine.
This is a major blow for the burger chain, which now has only around 40 locations remaining in the US.
Read More on The US Sun
A beloved Mexican restaurant has also revealed its list of 70 closures as it deals with bankruptcy proceedings.
Red Lobster also plans to make a comeback under new CEO Damola Adamolekun after it emerged from bankruptcy in September.