Amid the pandemic, restaurant chains aren’t doing well. Countless local restaurants across the country have shuttered for good, but chain restaurants are seeing plenty of closures, too. And while you might think that fast-food restaurants could weather the storm, that’s not always the case.
Here are some of the most popular fast-food chains that have closed locations this year. Fortunately, many of them still have plenty of other locations open.
And for more, don’t miss these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
Starbucks has closed or is planning to close 500 locations in the U.S. and 800 locations in the Americas. But the coffee chain is also opening 850 new locations in the Americas, so there will still be plenty of Starbucks locations around.
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Like Starbucks, Dunkin’ has announced the closure of hundreds of locations since the pandemic started. As many as 800 Dunkin’ locations will be closed by the end of the year.
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In August, Restaurant Business reported that Burger King’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International, would be closing hundreds of locations among Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes restaurants. It’s a massive loss for the fast-food industry.
Like Burger King, Popeyes is affected by the Restaurant Brands International closure announcement. Even the beloved chicken sandwich couldn’t save every Popeyes location.
Tim Hortons doesn’t have the name recognition that Burger King and Popeyes do in the U.S., but the Restaurant Brands International closures are still a loss.
In July, McDonald’s announced that it would be closing 200 locations, most of which were located inside Walmart stores.
Much to the chagrin of New Yorkers, Manhattan’s only Dairy Queen closed this summer.
Like Dairy Queen, Orange Julius has seen closures this year. An Orange Julius location in Great Falls, Montana has closed, as has a Dairy Queen-Orange Julius hybrid in Missoula, Montana. Both were located inside shopping malls.
Like Orange Julius, Sbarro isn’t faring well considering many of its locations are in shopping malls, which have seen decreased foot traffic during the pandemic. A Sbarro in the University of Maryland dining hall is also closing this year.
At least one Minneapolis location of Jamba has closed this year.
A West Virginia location of this fast-food seafood chain announced its closure in March.
A Cincinnati Taco Bell Cantina was one of the 2020 casualties, as was a Taco Bell-KFC hybrid in Kodiak, Alaska.
In addition to that Taco Bell-KFC in Alaska, Yum Brands closed hundreds of KFC locations in the U.K.
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