Latest news with #casualdining
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Beloved fried chicken shop closes all its UK locations
A fried chicken shop hailed for its tasty food and inviting cocktails has closed after more than a decade in business, leaving fans devastated. Korean fried chicken shop chain Chick 'N' Sours has announced the closure of its Haggerston and Seven Dials restaurants in London, having first opened to customers in 2015. Taking to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that the 'best chicken shop in the world' was set to close its doors for good, the restaurant's co-founder, David Wolanski, said that the business had tried to hold on for 'as long as we could' but that it was 'no longer viable' to remain open. The post read: 'Hello, it's with mixed emotions I'm here to tell you that we have closed our Chick 'N Sours restaurants in Seven Dials and Haggerston. 'Sunday night was our last day of trading. We do what we do because we love it, fuelled by passion and a desire to provide guests with awesome food and memorable dining experiences. But that's not enough these days. 'We hung in there as long as we could but I'm afraid we've now reached the point where operating the two restaurants just isn't viable anymore and it makes no commercial sense to continue.' Declaring that the 'casual dining restaurant model is broken', Mr Wolanski added: 'It's been an incredible journey from when Carl and I came up with the idea of opening the best chicken shop in the world 10 years ago on the back of my scooter. Taking to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news that the 'best chicken shop in the world' was set to close its doors for good, the restaurant's co-founder, David Wolanski, said that the business had tried to hold on for 'as long as we could' but that it was 'no longer viable' to remain open 'We scraped together what limited funds we had to open Haggerston and go on this wild roller coaster of a trip.' Opened in 2015 by Mr Wolanski and Carl Clarke and described as 'changing fried chicken for the good', the restaurant was adored by Londoners for its sweet and sour cocktails and high-quality chicken options. At the height of their success, the chain had four restaurants across the capital, with signature dishes including a Hot Chicken Bun, featuring chicken thighs and house pickles, alongside a Katsu Sandwich filled with curry sauce and Japanese pickle. Several disappointed fans took to Instagram to share their heartbreak at the shock closure, with one user remarking they were 'absolutely gutted', while another described it as a 'hard pill to swallow'. One commenter, who said that the beloved chicken shop was a 'special place' that they would miss dearly, said: 'Thank you for everything you've done. Your chicken shop touched my life (and soul) in so many different, unexpected ways. Not a single other place in London did this to me. Thank you'. Meanwhile, another user, who said they had been a 'loyal customer since day one', added that the business was 'the best there is, no question'. They added: 'If you guys can't make it work I worry so much for what that means for the industry. Thank you for all the amazing food and memories'. Opened in 2015 by Mr Wolanski and Carl Clarke and described as 'changing fried chicken for the good', the restaurant was adored by Londoners for its sweet and sour cocktails and high-quality chicken options While shutting their doors to customers in physical shopfronts, Chick 'N' Sours are still set to continue their residences at the Roof East and Corner Corner food halls. The popular chicken brand will also continue to serve customers on Deliveroo, while also making appearances at UK festivals and live music events. Making a desperate plea for customers to remember the importance of investing in independent restaurants, Mr Wolanski added: 'Remember, there are so many awesome independent restaurants out there doing great things but finding it tough out there also. 'We know things are tight for everyone but they need you. Go see them and spend your money with them, as the phrase 'use it or lose it' has never been so relevant.' It comes as more than 13,000 shops closed their doors for good in 2024 - an increase of 28 per cent on the year before. And, at the start of the year, industry experts predicted that up to 17,350 shops could close over the course of 2025, Nevertheless, the demand for fried chicken in the UK continues, with MailOnline revealing last year how Britain's highstreets were becoming overrun with fried chicken joints. The demand for fried chicken has likely also grown with the influence of social media personalities and celebrity endorsements. Amelia Dimoldenburg's wildly successful Chicken Shop Date series, where she dines with celebrities at local fried chicken shops, is bound to have furthered demand for the already popular fast-food In south London, a single stretch of road has a staggering 29 fried chicken shops, making it the biggest street in the UK for the fast food item. With a staggering 12 fried chicken shops within a stretch of just under two miles, Streatham High Road is home to almost every famous chicken shop brand, from Morley's to Chicken Cottage. And if you were to continue straight down the connecting London Road through to West Croydon, you would be able to spot a further 17 shops selling the fried goods. In short, this means you will pass a shocking 29 fried chicken shops on the single stretch of road from Streatham Hill to West Croydon without turning left or right, according to the Local Data Company. That is without accounting for the dozens more chicken shops that lay just off the main road. Since its first store was founded in Sydenham by Sri Lankan Tamil immigrant Kannalingam Selvendran in 1985, the Morley's brand has grown to become one of the most well-known, with nearly 100 branches across London. The demand for fried chicken has likely also grown with the influence of social media personalities and celebrity endorsements. Sidemen, the YouTube group popular among teens, sent fans into a frenzy when they opened their own fried chicken chain Sides in 2021. Meanwhile, Amelia Dimoldenburg's wildly successful Chicken Shop Date series, where she dines with celebrities at local fried chicken shops, is bound to have furthered demand for the already popular fast-food.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Texas Roadhouse is opening new locations in 17 states. Here's where and when
Texas Roadhouse, a steakhouse chain known for once allowing customers to throw peanuts on the floor, is expanding after it announced plans to open more locations across 17 states. The company – named as the top casual restaurant in the country in a study by insights company Technomic in April – will open 30 new locations of Texas Roadhouse and its sister sports bar spinoff, Bubba's 33, which serves wings, steak and pizza, this year. So far in 2025, the company has opened restaurants in the following locations: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas and Virginia. The new restaurants will be in: Athens, Alabama; Tempe and Yuma, Arizona; Champions Gate, Trinity, and Kissimmee, Florida; Warner Robins and Kingsland, Georgia; Gurnee and Mattoon, Illinois; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Fern Creek, Kentucky; Ruston, Louisiana; Battle Creek, Michigan; Branson, Missouri; Marlton, New Jersey; Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jacksonville, North Carolina; North Olmsted, Ohio; Kyle, Eagle Pass, Texas City, College Station, Avondale, Magnolia, New Braunfels and Leander, Texas; Antioch, Tennessee and Waynesboro, Virginia. The company opens roughly 30 new locations annually, a spokesperson told USA Today, while declining to outline plans for its 2026 expansion. Texas Roadhouse was founded by Kent Taylor in 1993. Its first location opened in Clarksville, Indiana. Taylor opened the first Bubba's 33 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2013. While Texas Roadhouse now discourages customers from tossing their peanut shells on the ground, pre-bagged peanuts are available at select locations. Several patrons filed lawsuits against the chain, claiming they'd slipped on the shells and sustained injuries as a result. A Texas woman received $43,000 in compensation in 2008 after she said an in-store accident led to extensive kneecap injuries. In 2013, another woman in Texas sued the restaurant for over $1m in a separate claim. The company settled the suit confidentially years later. Three years after that case, a man in Cedar Falls, Iowa said he also tripped on a shell and shattered his kneecap. The Independent has contacted Texas Roadhouse for information.
CNN
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Bahama Breeze just closed more than one-third of its locations
Bahama Breeze abruptly closed more than one-third of its restaurants this week, further compounding the casual dining segment's problems. Darden Restaurants, Bahama Breeze's parent company, said in a statement that the closure of 15 locations was the 'right decision because it will allow Bahama Breeze to focus on its highest performing restaurants and strengthen the brand's overall performance.' Restaurants that closed include five in Florida, four in New Jersey and one in Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New York and Tennessee. A spokesperson said that affected employees will try to be hired at nearby Darden-owned restaurants or be given severance. The Caribbean-inspired chain has just 29 restaurants remaining. The closures comes after a tough year for Bahama Breeze, with sales falling 7.7% last year, according to data given to CNN from Technomic, a restaurant analysis firm. Bahama Breeze's struggles underscore the 'tough times casual dining restaurants are facing,' said Maeve Webster, president of consulting firm Menu Matters. Those chains typically cater to lower and middle-income families looking for a sit-down meal, but diners are abandoning these companies as their disposable income shrinks because of inflation. American consumer sentiment plunged to a near-record low this month, the University of Michigan reported Friday. Webster told CNN that 'closing poorly performing units can be better for the chain overall than trying to fix them' because pouring resources into rescuing the poorly performing locations can 'undermine the entire chain.' 'It's similar to rationalizing a menu: Better to eliminate items that aren't selling or rarely selling to improve the quality and consistency of what remains,' Webster remarked. Darden, which also owns Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, had a tough quarter, particularly at those two brands, which are often standout chains for the company. Both concepts had weak same-store sales growth that came in below analysts' expectations.
