Chili’s Permanently Closes Store Doors, Issues Worrying Update on Expired Lease After ‘Temporary Extensions’

A CHILI’S restaurant has closed its doors for good as residents mourn the loss despite hearing about what will replace the bar and grill.

The restaurant located in Irvine, California, closed its doors on April 16 after an extended closure.

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Fans were informed of the closure with a notice posted outside the restaurant.

“Chili’s lease at Westpark Plaza expired at the end of 2020,” the sign read, according to the Orange County Register.

The notice stated that the location remained open due to numerous lease extensions, but these were temporary.

Brinker International, the company that owns Chili’s, then decided to permanently close the location this month.

However, a replacement has already been chosen and locals can expect another restaurant to take its place.

“We are pleased to announce that a family restaurant will open at this location early next year,” the notice on the building read.

No additional information about the incoming restaurant was given.

However, some residents believe the closure of Chili’s Irvine location is a bad sign for the chain’s future.

The closure of the location that had been in Irvine for nearly 30 years follows the closure of an Aliso Viejo Chili’s that closed in September 2023.

Additionally, the bar and grill in Paso Robles, California, also closed last summer following a “swift announcement” from bosses.

“It feels like Chili’s or Applebee’s are going extinct like dinosaurs,” said one local resident. he wrote on Facebook following news of the latest closure.

“They’re all closing…” another added.

Others mourned the loss while remembering happier times.

“So sad… I used to meet my parents there for dinner every Saturday,” one said.

Another called it a “hoax”, saying: “I LOVED that location.”

Meanwhile, some are looking forward to the replacement restaurant, hoping it will fill a void in the area.

Restaurant Closings in 2024

BOSSes of major restaurant chains have announced a series of restaurant closures. The US Sun has compiled a list of those affected by the network.

• Biscuit Barrel: Stores in Medford, Oregon, Columbia, South Carolina and Sacramento, California, closed.
• Mod Pizza: Bosses drastically closed 27 stores, including in the state of California.
• Frisch’s Big Boy: Restaurant bosses have confirmed the closure of a restaurant in Covington, Kentucky.
• Two dolars: Four restaurants in Ohio are set to close.
• Pepper: A restaurant in Port Arthur, Texas, has closed permanently.
• Friendly: Bosses have confirmed that an establishment in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, will close.
• Pizza Hut: A restaurant in Glen Falls, New York, closed at the end of March.
• Danny: Two restaurants in Boise and Nampa, Idaho, have closed.

“One downside to Irvine restaurants – No Mom and Pop and others can’t come here,” said one city resident.

However, they added that the financial support that large chains receive is a “serious problem” for these family-owned and independent businesses.

The US Sun has reached out to Chili’s for comment.

Meanwhile, a popular burger joint in San Jose has permanently closed its doors after 70 years in business.

The final day of operation on Tuesday saw fans line up around the building in a bid to receive the restaurant’s final gift.

The company’s co-owner, whose father launched it in the 1950s with his partners, revealed what he will miss.