Iconic Restaurant Chain Soon Down to 440 Locations After Losing 27 More
It's always a sad thing when a longtime restaurant chain closes its doors, especially if it's a name that's been popular for years or even decades. Now, an iconic restaurant chain is closing 27 locations and will be down to just 440 in 2026.
So, if you're a fan of this spot, enjoy it while you can and keep an eye on the chain's website to find out if your location location is remaining open.
Beloved Restaurant Chain Known for Its Burgers to Close 27 More Locations
We're talking about Red Robin. According to a report out on Monday, March 16, from Tasting Table, the restaurant chain has 27 locations left to close in 2026 and the upcoming years. "With only around 470 restaurants currently operating, future closures mean that the number of remaining units will be closer to 440," they note in the feature.
"As of 2026, Red Robin has decided that approximately 20 restaurants that had been doing poorly won't be closing after all since the performance has improved and the company thinks they're on an upward swing that can get them back to the same level as the units that are doing well," they note in the feature.
The report also notes that in 2024, Red Robin was in the red at 70 locations, so it began making plans to close down those restaurants between 2025 and 2030. It closed 23 locations in 2025. Also, the restaurant level operating profit margin was 12.7% in the report, a 190 basis point improvement from fiscal year 2024.
Red Robin isn't the only restaurant chain downsizing. In the same Tasting Table report, they note that a November 2025 revealed that Denny's had same-restaurant sales drop by 2.9 percent. They began closing underperforming restaurants back in 2023, and in 2024, the restaurant chain announced that it planned to close roughly 150 underperforming restaurants. So, as tastes change and technology evolves, chain restaurants are dealing with a new reality across the board.
Despite Closures, Red Robin Stays Focused on the Future of the Business
Heading into 2026, Dave Pace, Red Robin's president and chief executive officer, said that the company was focused on having a successful 2026 and beyond.
"The strategic decisions we made in 2025 under our First Choice plan positioned us to enter 2026 with greater focus and financial flexibility," he said in a statement. "We are building a more disciplined, guest-driven company with improving profitability, a strengthening balance sheet, and a clear roadmap for sustainable performance."
Pace added, "While there is much more work ahead, we are encouraged by the trajectory of the business and expect to make further meaningful progress in 2026."
According to the company's December 2025 earnings report, as of December 28, 2025, Red Robin clocked "outstanding borrowings under its credit facility of $170.2 million and liquidity of approximately $56.9 million, including cash and cash equivalents and available borrowing capacity under its credit facility."
So, even with the plans to close more Red Robin locations, the company stays optimistic and committed to the future.