National Chain (14 Illinois Locations) Considers Further Closings

They've already closed multiple locations, but more seem to be on the way.

Across America’s (and Illinois') restaurant landscape, closures are becoming more commonplace, not just at Red Robin but across a wide variety of well‑known chains as companies respond to economic pressures, changing consumer habits, and tough competition.

For Illinois diners, the situation hits close to home with Red Robin once again evaluating its overall footprint of locations. After closing 23 restaurants in 2025, the gourmet burger chain announced it expects to shut down another about 20 U.S. restaurants this year as part of its broader strategic realignment.

The Company Has Not Yet Released The List Of Locations Slated For Shuttering

At last count, Red Robin still operates 14 locations scattered throughout Illinois, including:

• Algonquin

• Champaign

• East Peoria

• Edwardsville

• Fairview Heights

• Gurnee

• Hoffman Estates

• Norridge

• Oswego

• Rockford

• Schaumburg

• Skokie

• South Elgin

• Warrenville

While the chain hasn’t named any specific Illinois restaurants slated for closure yet, past years have already seen closures in places like Orland Park, a reminder of how quickly the landscape can shift.

You May Have Noticed That Red Robin Is Not Alone When It Comes To Restaurant Closings In 2026

There are several really big-name brands that are dealing with a similar problem.

• Wendy’s plans to close roughly 5-6% of its US restaurants in 2026, which is somewhere in the neighborhood of 300-plus locations as the fast‑food giant adapts to slowing sales and changing foot traffic patterns.

• Pizza Hut, the iconic pizza chain owned by Yum! Brands, will shutter around 250 underperforming US locations in the first half of 2026 as it works to modernize and sharpen its operations.

• Papa John’s has announced plans to close approximately 300 restaurants in North America by the end of 2027, with roughly 200 closures expected this year. Most of these are underperforming spots that haven’t met brand standards or have sales numbers that can be absorbed by nearby stores.