It once had over 860 different locations across the country, but now the nation’s largest barbecue restaurant chain is down to only two locations here in Minnesota.
Once upon a time, this barbecue restaurant chain was adding locations faster than a normal Minnesota winter storm adds inches of snow to your driveway. But that was nearly seven years ago, and now this chain has become the latest in a string of national restaurants to shutter a portion of its restaurants.
It was just a few months ago that this chain announced it would be closing 19 more locations on top of previous closings that happened earlier in 2024. All told, those closings meant the chain had reduced its restaurant count by 97 locations, industry site QSR noted , though it also said the chain had opened 12 ‘franchised units’ last year.
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These announcements hit close to home because we love our restaurants, right? They play a unique role in our economy and culture both here in Minnesota and across the country. The National Restaurant Association estimates that there are currently over 11,100 restaurants in the North Star State , generating over $15 billion in sales…