A BELOVED restaurant chain has closed down a popular location in a major US state, and haunting pictures show it as completely abandoned.
Employees were only given seven hours notice before the spot closed down for good, and customers only got a brief flyer in the window.
A beloved restaurant chain has closed down a popular location in a major US state, and haunting pictures show it as completely abandoned[/caption]
The closure was revealed on social media, showcasing the chairs stacked up on the tables and the remains of the torn down sign on the front[/caption]
Applebee’s has just closed down a location in St. Petersberg, Florida, and the empty restaurant is all that is left.
The closure was revealed on social media, showcasing the chairs stacked up on the tables and the remains of the torn down sign on the front.
The caption of the Facebook post said: “Abandoned Applebee’s on 66th Street North in St Petersburg.”
A comment under the post revealed that employees only received a seven hour notice before the location shut down.
While customers only got a flyer stuck in the window that thanked them for their many years of business.
It also directed them to two other nearby Applebee’s locations, another in St. Petersburg and one in Largo.
The same user that posted about the St. Petersburg closure revealed the abandoned building of a former Applebee’s on Park Blvd, also in Florida.
It is not known why Applebee’s closed this location or the one on Park Blvd, or the exact date they did.
The US Sun has reached out to Applebee’s for comment on the St. Petersburg closure, but did not hear back right away.
MASS CLOSURES
The chain has been forced to close over 150 locations, and is currently overhauling an additional 30 to save on more.
Applebee’s has projected that it will be forced to close a further 20 to 35 restaurants this year.
Between 2021 and 2024, Applebee’s went from 1,578 restaurants to 1,501.
Dine Brands, which operates Applebee’s, is undertaking its “Lookin’ Good” scheme to refine the company’s restaurants.
The multi-year project will begin with 30 of the 47 Applebee’s that Dine took over last November, per Restaurant Dive.
Restaurant closures in 2025
Denny’s – Denny’s has confirmed that up to 150 locations are set to close in the US by the end of the year as many of them are no longer profitable.
Red Lobster – The chain has said that it plans to close over 100 stores across the country this year as new CEO Damola Adamolekun takes over.
TGI Friday’s – TGI Friday’s is still being forced to shutter locations thanks to a bankruptcy filing, including 30 in April alone.
Applebee’s – This chain is projecting a loss of 20 to 35 Applebee’s spots in 2025 but is teaming up with IHOP to introduce dual-branded locations with a curated menu of the two’s best items.
Noodles & Company – This emporium is set to close between 17 and 21 locations in 2025 following a difficult 2024.
Five more of those 47 sites will be turned into dual Applebee’s and IHOP locations.
CEO John Peyton said: “Six of our top 10 franchisees, representing 57% of the Applebee’s system, have already elected to accelerate remodels of their restaurants by the end of 2025 based on the Lookin’ Good program.
“The dual brand concept is now a core pillar of our development strategy, and we’re optimistic about the long-term upside potential.
“On average, we’ve seen these locations achieve 1.5 to 2 times the revenue compared to a single brand restaurant.”
Peyton claims that a dual location based in Seguin, Texas, saw thrice the sales in its first week compared to a new standalone IHOP.
Vance Chang, Dine’s Chief Financial Officer, said that the brand will probably see more dual developments like this in the future.
Chang explained: “gross openings from dual-branded domestic openings and new development agreements for standalone Applebee’s restaurants.”
Dine plans to open 12 to 14 dual-branded locations in the US in 2025.
Applebee’s has just closed down a location in St. Petersberg, Florida, and the empty restaurant is all that is left[/caption]
