These Nine Illinois Restaurants Could Be Closing Locations Very Soon

Times are tough.  Businesses across the state are closing.  And not just the little mom-and-pop shops that are getting pushed out by the big box stores.  But major retail locations.

Read More - These Five Illinois Stores Could Soon Be Closed

The same thing is happening with restaurants.  The days of certain casual dining franchises expanding like crazy are over.  These are 9 restaurants that are in Illinois that could soon be closing locations.

1- Applebee's

Not eating that good in the neighborhood.  Applebee's has closed 300 locations since 2017.  Another 25-35 are expected to close this year as well.

But there could be hope for Applebee's fans as the parent company is looking to build co-branded Applebee's IHop restaurants.  One location being open from morning till night...that makes sense!

2 - Hardee's

So Americans didn't want a 1400-calorie burger from a fast food place that costs as much or more than a normal burger from a sit-down restaurant.  Got it.

According to Eat This Not That, Hardees closed locations in Champaign, Chatham, Monticello, Springfield, and Virden Illinois already.

3 - Outback Steakhouse

Maybe more money spent on product and less on sponsoring golf tournaments?  Outback Steakhouse plans to be closing about 41 underperforming locations this year however, they also plan to be opening about 18 new locations.

4 - MOD Pizza

Maybe more money spent on product and less on models?  OK, to be fair this was actually for a very good charity endeavor.  But MOD Pizza closed down 27 restaurants in 11 states in March of 2024 and many more might be possible amid bankruptcy rumors.

5 - Red Lobster

This one has been well publicized after 100 locations closed in May.  With 570 locations still open across the country some experts are waiting to see if there will be more closures this year.

6 -Boston Market

There are very few of these left open across the country. In March of 2024, they were down to 27 after having more than 300 across America.

7 - Denny's

WTF is up Denny's!?  Apparently underground metal shows are not enough to keep the grand slams coming.  After closing 57 locations in 2023, another 10-20 locations were rumored to be closing in 2024.  Denny's takes up a lot of real estate to serve $5 pancakes.

8 - TGI Friday's

We are all happy when it's Friday.  But at the start of the year TGI Friday's reported they would be closing 36 underperforming restaurants.  While the East Coast was hit hardest with these closures the casual dining chain will be looking at all locations to make sure the profit is coming in.

9 - Cracker Barrel

According to Eat This Not That (where you can find more details on this list and others across the country that aren't in Illinois but are closing) Cracker Barrel saw a 4% decline in customer traffic in the most recent quarter.

While these restaurants are closing locations in Illinois and across the country, some are also opening new locations.  This shows that in real estate and restaurants, it's all about location. As you look for your favorite chain or local restaurant on Google Maps just be sure it's updated to see if it's open before you make the drive.