Big Food Chain with 31 Illinois Locations to Close 35 Restaurants

It has not been a great year for restaurants and it doesn't appear to be improving yet. There are multiple reports that a very popular food chain with 31 Illinois locations has plans to close 35 restaurants in 2024.

I have confirmed this report from multiple reliable sources including The Today Show, Finance Buzz and Eat This, Not That. They all unanimously report that Applebee's has firm plans to close 35 restaurants in 2024.

According to Applebee's official website, the chain still has 31 locations in Illinois including the following:

I have seen no confirmation as of this writing that any of the Illinois locations will be affected by the planned closures, but there's no confirmation that they won't either.

The Today Show report specifically holds out hope that this isn't a sign that Applebee's locations in Illinois are necessarily in trouble. They quote the Applebee's President Tony Moralejo as saying they're not struggling, but just closing struggling markets that are not as profitable.

Time will tell how many (or if any) Illinois Applebee's locations will be affected by the planned closures. As we're nearly halfway through 2024 as of this writing, it won't be long before word of the official closure list begins to appear.

As this is a developing story, it will be updated as new information is released by the company.