15 Fast Food Chains Closing Restaurants Right Now

Your favorite local fast-food restaurant may disappear before you even notice. That's because the sector is now preparing for the year ahead, and companies are reevaluating their businesses, cutting costs, separating the profitable restaurants from the unprofitable ones, and deciding which locations will make it into 2024. Competition has never been so tough, and with economic conditions suggesting that consumers will continue to limit their dining-out budget, brands need to adapt to the new market conditions and cut off some bad apples that could compromise their growth and stability in the near future.
For instance, after parent company Yum! Brands reported a 25% drop in net income for the first quarter of 2023 due to declining sales and foot traffic at its restaurants, KFC and other chains owned by the company began closing stores to start rebalancing their business. Since 2020, almost 70 KFC restaurants have been shuttered, with 35 closings happening over the past twelve months. Though the chicken chain also opened some locations in 2022, after generating its first unit growth in years, it reverted back to closures this fall. Revenue slipped by 1.1% during Q1, but data from the most recent quarters hasn't been released to the public yet. Now, the popular fried chicken fast food chain is exiting the market of one U.S. state completely, shuttering all stores and liquidating its assets in the region. According to the U.S. Sun, dozens of KFC locations are closing down in Louisiana. And the last seven closures meant that the chain will no longer serve customers in the state. KFC restaurants in Jennings, DeRidder, Crowley, Eunice, Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Sulphur were reportedly closed without notice. The company didn't respond to the outlet why it is leaving the state. Staffers said they were only made aware of the shutdowns by notices put at the restaurants' doors. The stores were not franchisee-owned, but operated by the corporation. According to retail analysts, the only reasonable explanation for the sudden closings is underperformance. Right now, Yum! Brands is reassessing its portfolio, and many other chains operated by it, including Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, are likely to follow the same move as KFC.
Similarly, burger chain Hardee's seems to be in trouble. In 2022, annual sales declined by 4.2%, and average sales volumes dropped by 3%. The brand is a sister to Carl's Jr., and both chains have been reporting weak sales since at least 2018, according to Restaurant Business. Then, Summit Restaurant Holdings, a large Hardee's franchisee went bankrupt and closed 40 restaurants. Now, parent company CKE Restaurant Holdings is planning to reduce Hardee's store count by 13%, or approximately 213 locations. The targeted restaurants are based in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Kansas, Missouri and Wyoming. During the filing, CKE said Summit Restaurant Holdings should sell the restaurants it operated to a “qualified and well-capitalized buyer, with a record of success across the restaurant, entertainment, food, beverage and retail markets.” Unfortunately, that didn't materialize, and the restaurants are at risk of being liquidated.
For most of these brands, closing stores is not something they take lightly. Oftentimes, that is their last resort. However, they must protect their business now to be able to navigate the challenges ahead. In many cases, it's a matter of survival. This trend is likely to intensify as economic conditions continue to deteriorate, meaning that we may have to say goodbye to multiple beloved restaurants before the year ends.

[Kevin-xits]

$11 for a burger, fries, and a soda doesn’t work for most Americans.

[ashleybosvik]

These places are closing because the service is lousy and so is the food. Prices are just too high.

[AKayfabe]

I think this is because too many restaurants have tried to cut costs too much by reducing quality of food and people are tired of it. They have all been overpriced since 2020, as it is. If the food was quality some people would still want it. But people are not going to pay these prices for food that’s no longer worth it to eat.

[WilliamCooper-lf]

I'm still trying to figure out how we can have double the business closures than we had last year and still be adding 360, 000 jobs at the same time. Am I the only one thinking we are being lied to?

[duboisdvoleur]

The flaw in the business model is that it is top heavy which makes it unsustainable if a downturn persists. Fast food is discretionary spending so it is a useful indicator of how much money people have in their pockets

[okboomer]

I love KFC, but I can not longer afford it, or Popeyes. 🙁

[missyk]

I love KFC and Arby's....but the food is just way out of my price range. I have not eaten at many of these places in YEARS!

[BeatrizToro-tv]

1. KFC
2. Arby's
3. TGI Friday's
4. Firehouse Subs
5. Bojangles
6. Moe's Southwest Grill
7. Raising Cane's
8. Chick-Fil-A
9. Hooters
10. Hardee's
11. Steak 'n Shake
12. Papa Murphy's
13. Baskin-Robbins
14. Starbucks
15. Pizzeria Locale

[daniellafrederici]

That food will make you sick and throw you into an early grave.

[brendavalentine-bates]

I've been to most of these restaurants and, with exception of Steak and Shake, Chick filet, and Firehouse, the employees are unfriendly and just slap the food together without correcting incorrect orders

[swilliams]

Poor customer service, higher prices, food not good & or not made correctly a lot of times & on top of that ppl are feeling more comfortable eating & cooking at home these days. NWO

[kenolson]

I got in the habit of cooking good quality meals at home During covid. My tastes have changed. Fast food taste like crap to me now. For a $12 meal Eating out. I can get four meals at home and feel like i've been really fed.

[croberts]

Too many large brands are owned by corporations instead of the individuals they're more interested in stock price and keeping up their income than they are in running the businesses and putting out good food

[joebidenisyourpresidentget]

Me after seeing 50 cars line up at a Chick-Fill-A drive thru : 🤔🤔🤔

[shiptj]

It's nice to see these companies get smaller.

[jediknightjairinaiki]

Good! You gouge the customers long enough, they'll stop coming into your stores. Just because a company "can" raise prices, doesn't mean they "should".

[georgeawestjr.]

Wow 😱! It's "The Voice" again! He's been on a roll lately. When "The Voice" speaks, people listen 👂.
I was in a McDonald's just last week. A Quarter Pounder 🍔 with cheese, medium fries 🍟 and a large soda 🥤 cost me almost $15.00 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱! I for one is not, "Lovin' It". 🥴😳🙄🤦👌

[bobmartens]

Since 2021 restaurant pricing has gone insane. I simply stopped going and so have most of my friends. Maybe once a mth we go for the local fullbreakfast for 6.50 and its a local place and we support them as best we can. Cook at home!!!

[warontrujillo]

Dozens of small restaurants closed left and right due to the plandemic. Nevertheless these franchises aren't inmuned eithe, r plus the amounts of saturated fats in these foods contribute to people preparing home cooked meals or switching to more healthy and less expensive choices.

[StevenGrahamHypnotherapist]

Corporate greed seen in ever-increasing prices for consumers is contributing greatly to their downfall. Fast food outlets have just become way too expensive.