PASTA PAIN
Beloved Italian chain closing up to 21 restaurants after shutting 9 last year
But there is some good news to savor
A BELOVED Italian restaurant chain is closing up to 21 locations this year, following nine that it closed last year.
The company has not been able to outrun its recent disappointing trend, despite producing some positive financial figures.
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It turns out that not even something as sacred as pasta is safe from recent economic strife.
At least that's the case for the chain Noodles & Company, after it revealed the closure news in a May 7 press release.
Men's Journal reports that the pasta emporium is set to close between 17 and 21 locations in 2025.
Specific locations that will close have not been released yet, however.
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The press release said: "Restaurant closures: 13 to 17 company-owned restaurants (previously 12 to 15) and four franchised restaurants."
The news follows a similarly difficult 2024 for Noodles & Company, as it saw nine locations shutter that year.
In fairness, Noodles & Company did foresee the closures in August last year.
Back then, the the company's chief financial officer Michael Hynes predicted that restaurants would close, but capped the number at 15.
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Hynes said at the time: "We will explore closing [those restaurants] on or before their lease expiration dates.
"The timing of potential closures is uncertain and will be determined on a case-by-case basis."
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It is unknown if the same case-by-case basis was used in deciding the amount of locations that would close this year.
NOODLE NEWS
But there is some things to be positive about at Noodles & Company.
In spite of the closures, same-store-sales are up 4.4%, total revenue also increased from $123.8 million from $121.4 million in the first quarter of 2024.
On top of this, the chain launched a new menu on March 12.
The CEO Drew Madsen announced the intention to add "more sauce, vegetables, and premium ingredients to elevate flavor, pushing ourselves to exceed expectations as consumer tastes evolve while simultaneously extending our reach and attracting new customers."
The new menu items include a "Buffalo & Cheese" pasta dish with Elbow noodles, "Garlic Bacon Crunch" and "Pulled Pork BBQ" Mac & Cheese dishes, "Cajun Shrimp Fettucine," and a "Green Goddess" salad, the press release says. Another addition: "Lemon Parmesan Broccoli."
Madsen continued to display confidence despite the issues that Noodles & Company has faced.
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.
He continued in the press release: "We are very pleased with the strong comparable restaurant sales and traffic performance we achieved during the first quarter despite a challenging macroeconomic environment.
"Since the new menu introduction, comparable sales have increased by approximately 5% through April.
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"We believe we have positioned the Company to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities we see ahead.
"Our new brand strategy focused on our comprehensive new menu is increasing relevance and demand, our loyalty program continues to grow, and our emphasis on operations excellence is helping deliver a more consistent guest experience while ensuring the successful execution of the new menu."
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