FANS of a beloved steakhouse have been left in despair as it prepares to close nine of its locations, and another sets itself for the axe.
The chain will see the majority of its locations transform under a rival’s brand name.
Fans of a beloved steakhouse have been left in despair as it prepares to close nine of its locations, and another sets itself for the axe[/caption]
Smokey Bones has announced another restaurant is set to close very soon, a part of its wider plan to convert many into Twin Peaks spots.
Smokey Bones was acquired in 2023 by Fat Brands, the same parents company that operates Twin Peaks.
The next Smokey Bones set to close is located at Valley View Mall in Roanoke, Virginia.
A sign in the window of the restaurant has confirmed that the last day of business is set for July 6.
It reads: “To our valued guests our last day open will be July 6.
“Thank you for 20 years! We have loved serving you.”
CUSTOMER REACTIONS
Many customers have reacted to the news of the Roanoke closure on social media.
Some comments revealed that Smokey Bones near them have been recently turned into Twin Peaks spots.
One person said on Facebook: “They just closed the one in Fayetteville, NC and converting it to a Twin Peaks.”
And another wrote: “My guess is it will convert to Twin Peaks!”
Others expressed their sadness: “Was a great place to eat!”
While someone else noted: “Sorry to hear that it is closing. Loved their BBQ ribs!”
TWIN PEAKS PLANS
At the end of the year, Smokey Bones would have closed nine spots, taking its total to just 45.
The number of Smokey bones closures is expected to increase in the coming years.
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
In 2023, chains such as Foot Locker announced plans to close up to 400 outlets by 2026.
While, other well-known retailers like Tuesday Morning and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams filed for bankruptcy in 2023.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
A spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “We still plan to convert about half of Smokey Bones’ locations to Twin Peaks over the next several years.
“We will then keep 20 or so locations as Smokey Bones with nine locations closing due to factors such as the lease expiring or the trade area.
“As we have shared previously, we are committed to growing Smokey Bones and see great potential for the brand as the only BBQ concept in our portfolio.
“Our first priority is completing the conversions and then we will execute on our growth strategy.”
But the future of Twin Peaks is far from certain, given the abrupt shutdown of its last location in California.
It had been in Sacramento for nearly a decade, but left without warning customers, or a reason why.
The announcement post on social media said: “To our fans, we thank you for nearly 10 years of joining us for the “food, fun, cold beer & sports”.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we must share that Twin Peaks Sacramento is now permanently closed.
“Thank you and be well.”
