Business

Red Robin is closing up to 50 restaurants nationwide

Red Robin is closing additional underperforming restaurants as part of a nationwide effort to streamline its business. ©Image Credit: Wiki Commons

Red Robin is closing more restaurants across the U.S. This isn't a full-blown shutdown, however; it is more like the company hitting the reset button after deciding some locations just are not worth keeping open.

The closures are part of a turnaround strategy

Red Robin has been working through a major turnaround strategy called its First Choice Plan, which launched in 2025. The plan focuses on closing underperforming restaurants, selling company-owned stores to franchise operators, paying down debt and cutting costs.

The latest casualty is a restaurant in Cary, North Carolina, where property was sold to a commercial developer. But that's just one piece of the restructuring.

The initial plan was to close 70 restaurants

Earlier this year, Red Robin said it could close up to 70 locations as leases expired. However, the company says business has improved enough that about 20 restaurants have been taken off the chopping block.

Now, Red Robin expects roughly 20 restaurants to close in 2026, with the possibility that several more could still be added depending on performance. In other words, the closure list isn't locked in stone. The company says it's still evaluating stores. So, some struggling locations could earn a second chance if business improves.

New owners, same bottomless fries

One of the biggest misconceptions is that selling a restaurant means it's disappearing. Not in this case. Red Robin has sold more than 100 locations to franchise operators this year, including large groups of restaurants across multiple states.

So, most of those restaurants aren't closing at all. They are simply changing owners while continuing to serve the same burgers, bottomless fries, and towering onion rings under the Red Robin name.

The numbers actually tell a surprisingly positive story

Despite all the closures, Red Robin says its turnaround strategy is already showing results. The company has paid down more than $20 million in debt and improved profitability. It has also reduced the number of restaurants it originally planned to close.

That does not erase the challenges facing casual dining, but it suggests the restructuring is doing exactly what it was meant to do.

Source: TheStreet

M&M’s maker cuts 307 jobs and leaves New Jersey

Mars Wrigley, the company behind M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, and Milky Way, is officially saying goodbye to Newark, New Jersey, after announcing plans to relocate its headquarters to Chicago. Along with the move come 307 job cuts at its Newark office, marking the end of the

Ohio man sues Taco Bell over severe parasitic infection

An Ohio man got more than he bargained for when he recently dined at Taco Bell. He is now suing the Taco Bell franchisee, claiming that its meal made him sick for two weeks with a Cyclospora infection. Cyclosporiasis outbreak continues in the US The cyclosporiasis outbreak has been big

Nationwide recall issued for popular garlic powder after bacterial contamination risk

It's time to check your kitchen cupboard for a possible contamination risk. A nationwide Class 2 recall has been issued by the CFIA for Heavenly Spices garlic powder due to potential bacterial contamination. Spice sold in Dollarama stores across Canada Garlic powder is one of the most common

Alaska Airlines launches first ever luxury suites with closing doors

Airplane seats have come a long way from the era of fighting your neighbor for armrest territory. Now, Alaska Airlines wants to take the premium flying experience into its own little world, literally. The airline is redesigning its business-class cabins for its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and the big headline