Nationwide Barbecue Chain Closing Locations, Rebranding Others

A well-known nationwide restaurant chain famous for its barbecue dishes is gearing up for a significant transformation across all its eateries.

And some of them are even getting a new identity.

Barbecue Restaurants Struggling To Succeed

As a movie buff, I’ve found that running a restaurant, whether it’s an independent establishment or part of a larger chain, has proven to be quite the cinematic drama these days. The culinary world is a tough nut to crack for every kind of cuisine.

In 2024, seafood chain Red Lobster faced numerous restaurant closures and bankruptcy hearings, but aims to regain customer trust in 2025. Meanwhile, Mexican restaurant On The Border shut down approximately one-third of its restaurants prior to filing for bankruptcy.

What’s Happening To Smokey Bones?

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill first opened its doors in Orlando, Florida during the late 90s. At one point, this chain boasted approximately 130 locations across the country. However, after being owned by Darden Restaurants – the corporation behind Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and various other casual dining establishments – the brand was eventually sold off.

After Fat Brands acquired Smokey Bones restaurant chain, its number of locations dropped to about 60. It seems likely that this number could significantly decrease even further within the next few months.

As per a recent update by TheStreet.com, Fat Brands is planning to shut down up to nine struggling outlets. Moreover, they aim to transform almost half of their existing locations into Twin Peaks eateries.

The Twin Peaks brand is sort of an outdoorsy take on Hooters.

As soon as you enter, you find yourself enclosed in a cozy lodge teeming with warm and attentive staff members dressed as Twin Peaks characters, who are ready to serve you delicious homemade dishes and our unique 29 degrees brews, the restaurant notes on its website.

The company hasn’t disclosed which Smokey Bones restaurants will shut down or be transformed into Twin Peaks franchises as of now.

Chains That Are Closing or Have Closed Locations in 2025

Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts is more or less reshuffling the deck on its stores. The company announced in late 2024 that it is rolling out a “strategic plan” to reduce the number of its properties.

This includes:

Closing 523 Advance Auto Parts corporate stores
Exiting 204 independent locations
Closing four distribution centers

An exact timeline for the company to enact the plan as not yet been announced. We do know Advance is targeting having its distribution centers consolidated into “13 large facilities” by 2026.

Best Buy

Over a period of time, Best Buy has been gradually shutting down some of its stores. The news hasn’t created a significant impact because not all stores closed simultaneously. Back in February 2024, Money Digest revealed that Best Buy intended to close 24 stores in the current year, with an additional 10 to 15 stores closing in 2025.

Big Lots

At the very end of last year, Big Lots was purchased from bankruptcy court as a new beginning. Unfortunately, some stores have already shut down, but there’s hope that others might persist. According to Business of Home, certain stores will maintain the Big Lots brand, whereas others are being revamped to offer less furniture and could potentially adopt a new name instead.

CosMc’s

It appears that McDonald’s is planning to shut down three of its spinoff restaurants, CosMc’s. This brand primarily offers a wide variety of drinks, with a limited food menu consisting of quick snacks. However, it’s worth noting that more CosMc’s will be opening in smaller structures next year, 2025.

Three CosMc’s locations are reportedly closing down, but the brand has plans to open new ones in smaller buildings starting from 2025. The focus of this spinoff restaurant is predominantly on drinks and quick bites for food.

Denny’s

On their official site, Denny’s Corporation proudly states that it ranks among the largest restaurant chains due to the sheer number of its establishments. However, by the end of 2024, the chain was expected to shut down approximately 50 restaurants, and an additional 100 locations have been identified for closure in 2025.

Denny’s Corporation highlights on their website that they are one of the top full-service restaurant chains based on the number of restaurants. By the end of 2024, the chain was projected to close around 50 locations, and another 100 sites were earmarked for closure in 2025.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

1. Although Dick’s Sporting Goods might not be completely finished, some of its stores may shut down in the year 2025.

2. According to a report from Patch.com, approximately 35 Dick’s Sporting Goods locations are scheduled to close this current year.

Dollar General

At the beginning of the year, discount retailer Dollar General experienced a somewhat disappointing start. In January alone, they closed 27 stores but also opened 9 new ones. The company attributes these store closures to increased operational expenses.

Domino’s

The news that Domino’s might shutter stores varies based on your location. In 2015, the pizza chain is considering closing as many as 205 locations globally. A significant number of these closures are anticipated to take place outside the U.S., with approximately 170 of them being in Japan.

Foot Locker

Foot Locker is experiencing a blend of endings and beginnings. According to ABC News, the retail chain is planning to shut down over 400 stores by 2026. Simultaneously, Foot Locker intends to revamp some of its existing locations. Specifically, a well-established footwear source has announced plans to renovate approximately 280 stores, focusing on community engagement, its “power store” and “play” concepts.

Forever 21

Initially, Forever 21 decided to shut down some poorly performing stores starting from February, aiming to eventually close around 200 locations.

Kirkland’s

Kirkland’s, a home decor retailer with approximately 300 stores across 35 states, has acquired the Bed Bath & Beyond brand as part of its new business plan. This strategy includes closing down underperforming stores and transforming some locations into brands that could potentially boost profitability.

Lumber Liquidators/LL Flooring

In late 2024, LL Flooring, formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, was on the verge of shutting down permanently, but it was saved by a private equity firm. The media outlet Retail Dive revealed that approximately 100 stores were initially planned to be closed as part of the company’s Chapter 11 filing.

JCPenney

At the beginning of 2025, JCPenney unveiled its intention to shutter eight retail locations. Prior to this announcement, the company had sought refuge under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

JoAnn

As a devoted cinephile, I was saddened to learn that in February, they made the announcement that their cinemas, all remaining ones, would be shutting down – a decision triggered by their second bankruptcy filing within a short span of twelve months.

Kohl’s

In 2025, department store retailer Kohl’s has decided to shut down some of its stores. To start with, the company had over 1,150 locations. According to ChainStoreAge.com, Kohl’s aims to close around 27 underperforming stores and one fulfillment center before April.

Macy’s

Macy’s initially planned to shut down 50 stores by the end of 2025, but it appears that schedule is moving faster than anticipated. The revised plan now calls for closing 65 locations instead.

On The Border

1. Towards the end of February, On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, a chain with 120 locations, shut down almost a third of its restaurants. A few short weeks later, news surfaced that the company had sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

2. To add to this, On The Border also offers a line of branded merchandise such as chips and salsas, which are stocked in supermarkets nationwide.

Party City

Party City is not merely shutting down some branches; instead, the entire chain is set to cease operations permanently by 2025. In a statement made in December 2024, the company overseeing Party City announced that all stores will be closed as of February 28.

Red Robin

Red Robin, a popular burger chain, is considering the closure of up to 70 locations over time. The process will begin this year with approximately 10-15 underperforming restaurants being closed first, aiming for improvement.

7-Eleven

Despite the plan to shutter over 400 stores, 7-Eleven’s extensive network of more than 13,000 North American outlets remains largely unaffected, as sales have reportedly plummeted. In a move announced in 2024, the convenience store chain initiated the closure process for 444 underperforming stores due to a significant drop in sales. On a positive note, other 7-Eleven locations might be undergoing renovations to introduce higher-quality food options reminiscent of their Japanese branches.

TGI Fridays

In the first month of 2025, there were several developments with TGI Fridays. Eat This, Not That! revealed that the chain was planning to shut down 36 locations in January itself. Additionally, the company also disclosed its intention to sell off nine of its restaurants.

Walgreens

In recent years, a significant number of pharmacies have been shutting down, including Rite-Aid, CVS, and now Walgreens. According to Good Housekeeping, Walgreens is planning to close approximately 2,150 stores by 2027, which represents almost a quarter of its total 8,600 locations.

Or in a more conversational style:

Pharmacies like Rite-Aid and CVS have been shutting down at an alarming rate in recent years, and it looks like Walgreens is following suit. Good Housekeeping reports that Walgreens plans to close nearly 2,150 stores by 2027, which is almost a quarter of its total number of locations. That’s quite a significant reduction!

’80s Foods We Wish They Still Made

Bonkers

In the ’80s, this fruity, chewy confection was widely available in stores. It gained notoriety for its peculiar advertisements that aired during the same period. These commercials showcased an unassuming, glasses-wearing woman debunking misconceptions about Bonkers (not gum!). In these ads, massive fruits often came tumbling down from the sky, landing on her unsuspecting family members. The advertisements were quite bizarre, and so was the fact that despite their strangeness, Bonkers remained popular throughout the ’80s, only to lose a significant portion of their market share shortly after, causing production to halt entirely just a few years later. The most common flavors of Bonkers included grape, strawberry, and my personal favorite, watermelon, which took advantage of the candy’s two-tone design, featuring a green exterior and a chewy red center.

C-3PO’s

For those who grew up as early fans of Star Wars, it’s likely you recall this breakfast treat. C-3PO figures were part of the merchandise line tied to Return of the Jedi, and they were quite the hit during the mid-1980s. The cereal itself wasn’t extraordinary; the oat, wheat, and corn pieces resembled two squished Cheerios, with no Star Wars connection. However, the boxes were something else! They had cut-out masks of popular characters on the back, which ’80s kids adored. They wore these masks instead of eating the cereal, leaving it to spoil for months in kitchen cabinets throughout the galaxy.

Disney Pops

At Disney Parks and retailers globally, Mickey Mouse Ice Cream bars continue to be a cherished snack. However, back in the 1980s, Disney ice pops were also available for purchase. These fruit-flavored frozen treats came in grape, cherry, and orange flavors, and were molded into shapes like Mickey, Donald, or Goofy. I can’t explain why they stopped being produced, but there’s clearly a continued affection for Disney and popsicles! I’d go to great lengths for a grape-flavored Donald popsicle today.

Ecto Cooler

In the realm of merchandise related to movies, Ecto Cooler stands out as a unique gem alongside other products. This bright green, citrus-flavored beverage, resembling juice but with its own identity, emerged in the late ’80s, riding the wave of popularity from the Ghostbusters animated series. Although the show ended and the movies stopped production, Hi-C continued to manufacture Ecto Cooler into the early 2000s. In more recent times, it has reappeared as a temporary offering around the launch of new Ghostbusters films or sequels. The demand for this sweet drink is so high that when it’s back on shelves, bottles often change hands for significant amounts, with some people selling them for tens or even hundreds of dollars. Now, that’s quite the chilling tale!

Five Alive

Discussing citrus-based drinks: If you’d rather avoid a connection to Ghostbusters, another option is Five Alive. The name derived from the five juices in the drink – orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and lime. Unfortunately, it was discontinued in America during the 1990s, but it’s said to still be available in Canada. If you happen to visit our northern neighbors, could you possibly pick up a carton for me? I’m craving Five Alive at the moment.

Fruit Corners Fruit Bars

1980s saw an explosion in popularity for fruit snacks, with Fruit Roll-Ups leading the charge. This was a time when even health-conscious parents couldn’t resist these seemingly healthy treats marketed as junk food for kids. Among many imitators, Fruit Corners’ Fruit Bars stood out, offering a unique blend of the Roll-Up concept and granola bar form factor. The initial flavors included strawberry, cherry, grape, and orange-pineapple. To this day, I’ve been on a quest to find something as delicious as those cherries Fruit Bars, and while It’s Only Apple and Cherry bars come close, they don’t quite hit the spot.

The 80s witnessed a surge in fruit snack popularity, with Fruit Roll-Ups taking the lead as a seemingly healthy junk food for kids. Among various imitators, Fruit Corners’ Fruit Bars stood out due to their unique combination of the Roll-Up concept and granola bar form. The original flavors were strawberry, cherry, grape, and orange-pineapple, and I’ve been searching for a replacement for that delicious cherry flavor ever since. Today, It’s Only Apple and Cherry bars come close, but they don’t quite hit the mark.

Fruit Wrinkles

If Roll-Ups were excessively flat and Fruit Bars too geometric in their structure, an alternative option you could opt for were Fruit Wrinkles, resembling jelly beans. Advertisements highlighting this product focused on its higher fruit content and lower sugar levels compared to similar products available. Additionally, they boasted about the increased ‘wrinkles’ it had.

As fruit snacks began to adopt more intricate shapes, inspired by popular children’s media, simpler options like these Wrinkles gradually lost their appeal and eventually disappeared from the market.

Giggles

In today’s world, it feels like Oreos dominates the sandwich cookie market completely, with an entire section of the snack aisle dedicated to their countless flavors (even Sour Patch Kids Oreos was the last straw for me). However, I remember back in the 1980s, the sandwich cookie market was much more diverse. One of the major competitors was Giggles cookies, which were essentially Oreos with both chocolate and vanilla cream filling, and a smiley face cookie (available in vanilla or chocolate varieties). Frankly, considering how frequently Oreos release new flavors these days, it’s surprising they haven’t introduced one with a vanilla and chocolate center yet. It’s such a fantastic idea!

Hostess Pudding Pies

Hostess continues to dominate the snack food market, recognized for their diverse selection of Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and other individual cakes and sweets. Despite this, their pudding pies, which were extremely popular in the ’80s, are hard to come by today. These came in Vanilla or Chocolate varieties, but alas, they were high in fat and unhealthy ingredients, possibly contributing to their disappearance. Even their current apple pies aren’t exactly nutritious; a single serving of their cherry pie contains 8 grams of saturated fat and 25 grams of added sugars – half the daily recommended intake. (On the other hand, they were incredibly delicious, so who needs health?!)

Jell-O Pudding Pops

In the 80s, pudding seemed to be an unavoidable dessert trend. Was it due to limited dessert options or simply a fad? Regardless, pudding could be found in various forms – cups, pies, and even popsicles under brands like Jell-O’s Pudding Pops. Flavors included vanilla, chocolate, and swirl, with Bill Cosby often endorsing them in commercials (his endorsements have held up surprisingly well over time). Wikipedia reports that one year alone, Jell-O sold $100 million worth of Pudding Pops. However, as tastes evolved, the demand for these treats waned, and ultimately, the line was discontinued.

Kudos

Do you recall the popular granola bars called Kudos from the 80s? These were highly sought-after options on the market; initially, they came in flavors like Chocolate Chip, Nutty Fudge, and Peanut Butter. Mars was their manufacturer, positioning them somewhere between a healthier granola bar and a traditional candy bar. They truly were tasty treats – kudos to the ingenious mind behind them! They continued production until the 2010s, when unfortunately they were taken off the shelves.

Mr. T Cereal

During the 1980s, particularly in the mid-part, Mr. T held an outsized and puzzling place in popular culture. This was mainly due to his roles in “Rocky III” and “The A-Team,” as well as his distinctive appearance featuring a mohawk, denim attire, and a towering collection of gold chains. Subsequently, his popularity among children led to an unusual animated TV series where he played the role of a gymnastics coach, helping his students solve mysteries.

In this period, the cereal produced by Quaker, known as Mr. T cereal, was a big hit. The cereal pieces were shaped like Ts and consisted of corn and oats. Interestingly, these breakfast bits also appeared in the opening scene of Tim Burton’s “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” ensuring its enduring popularity for years to come.

O’Grady’s Chips

A victim of the 1980s potato chip rivalries: O’Grady’s, a brand that prided itself on offering thicker cut potatoes and a more robust cheese flavor compared to regular chips. Devoted fans still vouch for their Au Gratin chips, claiming they were significantly superior and much cheesier than any other comparable chip option available today.

Peanut Butter Boppers

This Reddit user perfectly describes the charm of this snack item: “Boppers are essentially granola bars minus the granola, but with all the tasty elements. As a huge fan of peanut butter, I still yearn for Boppers. Amen to that! These peanut butter-filled crunchy logs should make a comeback. While their original manufacturer, Nature Valley, provides a recipe for Boppers on their website if you’re willing to give homemade ones a try in the meantime.

Product 19

In the ’80s and ’90s, the cereal with the iconic red box and an intriguing unofficial name (often said to be the 19th recipe developed by Kellogg’s) was a common sight on grocery store shelves. During this time, Kellogg’s marketed it as having more vitamin nutrition than any other cereal, yet it tasted so sweet that you wouldn’t guess its health benefits. Over time, people stopped buying cereals for their perceived health benefits, and by 2016, Product 19 was discontinued permanently.

Quackers

For many decades, kids have savored the crunchy, cheesy flavor of Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish crackers. In the 1980s, Nabisco attempted to challenge this product with Quackers; as their name implies, they were shaped like ducks rather than fish, and offered a comparable cheese taste. (Interestingly, they also had sour cream and onion variants, which turned out to be quite tasty.) However, by the late 1980s, Quackers had vanished from the market, leaving Goldfish to swim solo once more.

Slice

Periodically, Pepsi introduces a new lemon-lime soda to rival Coke’s Sprite and other competitors. At present, they market Starry; previously they sold Sierra Mist, and prior to that was Slice (which succeeded Teem). A few years following its launch, Slice introduced additional flavors such as Mandarin Orange and Apple (a flavor I believe is underrepresented in the soda market).

When it debuted, Pepsi emphasized that Slice contained 10% fruit juice, positioning it as a more natural choice compared to other lemon-lime sodas. This strategy was effective for some time, but eventually, they altered the drink’s composition, significantly reducing the juice content. Despite these changes, Slice continued through the 90s, experimenting with various packaging designs and taglines, before Sierra Mist assumed its position in Pepsi’s product lineup during the early 2000s.

Sunkist Fun Fruits

You know, I can’t help but reminisce about those forgotten fruit snack ideas once again. Oh, Sunkist Fun Fruits! They were remarkably similar to Wrinkles in terms of size and shape, and they came in delightful cherry, orange, strawberry, and grape flavors. Despite their name suggesting a connection to the sunny citrus brand, these tasty treats were actually crafted by Leaf Confections, who acquired the rights to use the Sunkist label to add an air of genuine juice-infused deliciousness. (Nowadays, the Sunkist Fruit Snacks are produced by General Mills.)

Tato Skins

In the 80s, Keebler was the sole manufacturer of a unique potato chip product known as Tato Skins. Unlike other chips, these were made from whole potatoes with skins on, offering a taste reminiscent of baked potatoes. They came in flavors like Original, Sour Cream & Chives, Cheddar & Bacon, and Bar-B-Que. Although there’s a product similar to Tato Skins on the market today (TGI Fridays Potato Skins Snacks), fans of the original argue that nothing compares to the classic Tato Skins experience.

WWF Superstars of Wrestling Bars

In the 80s, when Hulk Hogan and other World Wrestling Federation (WWF) stars ruled the airwaves on Saturday morning TV, it was a golden opportunity to cash in on children’s enthusiasm for wrestling through branded food items. This led to the creation of WWF Superstars Ice Cream Bars, which were a hit among kids due to their delicious vanilla ice cream filling between a vanilla cookie and a chocolate layer. The cookie tops bore images of popular WWF characters such as “Macho Man” Randy Savage and “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

Although these bars were initially marketed during the peak popularity of wrestling in the 80s, they continued to be produced even after the WWF’s fame had dwindled in the early 90s. Despite this, fans cherished their memories of the bars, which sparked a brief revival in 2020 when Good Humor reintroduced a similar concept called “WWE Super Stars.” These new treats showcased images of contemporary wrestlers like John Cena and Roman Reigns on vanilla ice cream sandwiches (unfortunately not popsicles). While they were enjoyable, they didn’t last as long in stores as the original WWF bars.

2025-03-11 17:27