The 6 Biggest Chain Restaurant Closures Of 2026 So Far

If you've been, well, doing anything lately, you've probably noticed how steeply prices are rising. These days, going out to a restaurant — even a casual chain restaurant — has become exorbitantly expensive for many diners, which means that people are choosing to cook meals at home more often. That decision is great for your wallet, of course, but it spells disaster for a lot of chains, which are closing locations at a surprising speed. Lots of customers say that various chain restaurants simply aren't worth it anymore, with those higher prices along with a noticeable decline in food quality and service since the pandemic.

So, which chains are shuttering stores this year? There are quite a few restaurant chains that are planning major closures for 2026, and at the time of writing, there are already several that have gone through with those plans. These are the biggest chain restaurant closures of 2026 so far. Don't expect the list to end here, though — there are probably a lot more coming in the second half of the year.

Perhaps one of the most noticeable restaurant chain closures in 2026 so far has been Smokey Bones, a BBQ chain restaurant that boasted at least 30 restaurants in 15 different states in the U.S. Unfortunately, the company announced that all of its locations had closed as of April 28, 2026. Customers who were hoping to snag themselves a rack of ribs or one of the many other barbecue dishes Smokey Bones had once listed on its menu were disappointed to find signs affixed to the doors of their local Smokey Bones restaurants declaring that not only had their individual store closed, but all of the chain's brands had ceased operations entirely.

The announcement was, to say the least, unexpected. Many people who worked for the restaurant didn't even know it was closing until the day it was actually shuttered, April 28. That leaves at least some former employees, most of whom probably depended on their employment for their livelihood, unexpectedly without a job.

This closure comes after FAT Brands Inc., Smokey Bones' parent company, filed for bankruptcy in January 2026. It's not entirely clear, however, whether that bankruptcy is directly responsible for the chain's closure or not.

If you've ever dreamed of sipping an overly sweet, tropical-themed cocktail on a patio that juts into a strip mall parking lot, then Bahama Breeze is the restaurant for you. But it's going to be harder to get your hands on a Bahama Breeze reservation these days; in April 2026, the chain closed half of its locations, which amounted to 14 restaurants. Darden Restaurants, the chain's parent company, announced in February that it would be shutting down these locations by April 5. Surprisingly, though, some had already shuttered their doors by the time that date rolled around.

Not only can guests no longer get their Bahama-themed fare at the locations that already closed their doors, but Darden also announced that the company will be converting the remaining locations into other Darden restaurants over the next year to a year and a half. So, if you're a Bahama Breeze fan whose nearest location hasn't shut down yet, make sure you go there soon — it sounds like it won't be long before it's no longer a neighborhood option at all.

Joe's Crab Shack used to be a veritable seafood empire, with locations scattered across the country for crab lovers everywhere to visit. But these days, Joe's Crab Shack isn't doing too well. Although the chain once boasted well over 100 restaurants, it was down to only 14 in the entire country after the recent shuttering of the Jacksonville Beach, Florida, location, in January. Even though there's only one Joe's Crab Shack location that's been closed so far this year, it still represents a large portion of the chain's total holdings, making it a significant closure on the chain restaurant scene.

Apparently, seafood chain restaurants haven't been doing well lately in general, but it doesn't seem like that's the reason this Joe's Crab Shack closed its doors — rather, that's because Landry's, Inc., the company that owns Joe's Crab Shack, is turning the former Jacksonville Beach location into a Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. location. Although you can get crab at Bubba Gump, we can't help but think area crab lovers will still be disappointed by this seafood chain shakeup.

If you want to get coffee at a fast-food-style restaurant, you have two main choices in most of the country: Starbucks and Dunkin'. Despite having a much smaller footprint than these giant chains, Peet's Coffee provides an alternative for those who are looking for a different kind of coffeehouse experience. But in January of 2026, the chain announced that it was shuttering dozens of stores by the end of the month. Considering the fact that it had just over 465 locations worldwide at that time, that's a pretty significant cut.

Many of these locations were reportedly in the San Francisco Bay area, and Peet's union members claimed that management did not consult with the union about severance packages. Another location in Evanston, Illinois, was on the chopping block as well and is now listed as permanently closed on Google. The Evanston location was said to be closed due to the impact of declining sales.

Wendy's is currently shaking up a lot in its business model, with plans to close around 300 stores this year. That's a pretty significant chunk of its nearly 6,000 locations in the U.S. The goal is to shutter the lowest-performing stores to better focus on the locations that are bringing in more money. But Wendy's isn't necessarily struggling — it's also reportedly opening new locations this year as well. In fact, it opened more than 100 restaurants in 2025, which is more than it closed in the same year.

It seems like Wendy's is wasting no time on those store closures. There have been multiple reports of Wendy's around the country closing suddenly. In April, a Wendy's in North Haven, Connecticut, closed its doors, after another location in Columbus, Ohio, was shuttered earlier that month. Four other Ohio Wendy's are said to have closed since the beginning of 2026. And in March, yet another Wendy's location closed in Taos, New Mexico. It looks like there will be plenty more closures in the pipeline.

If you're a fan of Tex-Mex food, then there's a good chance you love Torchy's Tacos ... if you're lucky enough to live in a part of the country where Torchy's is located, of course. But those parts of the country are becoming less widespread due to a recent rash of closures of the popular chain. By early February, Torchy's had reportedly closed seven of its restaurants. Out of fewer than 150 stores, that's a relatively high ratio of closures. Two of those locations were in Columbus, Ohio, which now boasts zero total Torchy's Tacos. The other closed stores were located in Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Florida.

A spokesperson said that the closed restaurants no longer aligned with the company's long-term plans. In the midst of these closures, though, the chain is still reportedly looking to expand in the near future. The CEO said that the plan is to open 75 new locations in the next 10 years, so hopefully, all of the affected Torchy's fans can find their way to a new location soon enough.