The burgers are pedestrian. Overpriced for what you get.
Minimum wage fallout or are they just leaving a war zone?
Hmmmmmmmm. Downtown locations closed, suburbs staying open. Says a lot about the inner city clientele or maybe the employees got tired of getting robbed every night when they left work.
There’s no market for their product in the city. There are cheaper burgers available at the standard fast food places, and better burgers for the same price available at the local burger bistros.
What’s the difference between “fast casual” and “sit down”?
Fast learners on the management team, and willing to quickly correct mistakes. Poor decision to open them, but wise enough to cut their losses quickly.
Guess they didn’t care for the local flavor.
Never had the desire to go to one. Heard they are over priced and burgers are nothing special. I’ll stick with homemade burgers or a drive thru special.
Article from Oct 2nd
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20161002/BLOGS09/161009999/red-robin-shutters-all-five-chicago-burger-works-restaurants
A spokesman for the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based casual-dining chain said in an email that Red Robin shuttered nine of its 12 Burger Works restaurants, including spots in Washington, D.C.; Boulder, Colo., and Fort Collins., Colo. The three remaining locations—two in Denver and another in Clackamas, Ore.—will remain open but under a new nameplate, Red Robin Express.
“The smaller format remains one of Red Robin’s service platforms, and we are taking a fresh look at a strategy that is best from both a brand and operational perspective,” Kevin Caulfield, a spokesman, said in an email. “We will continue to explore smaller units that meet the growing demand for carryout and delivery.”
Red Robin targeted Chicago as one of three U.S. markets to test its fast-casual subsidiary. It opened its first Burger Works concepts in Chicago in 2014, with outlets on Michigan Avenue and on Chicago Avenue in the Gold Coast. Three restaurants followed in 2015, though one of them, at 204 N. Wells St., closed earlier this year for what the company said was “a temporary kitchen renovation,” but it never reopened.
The Burger Works restaurants were Red Robin’s attempt to pair its gourmet burgers with a quick-service format. Most of the stores were clustered in high-traffic lunch areas and had both takeout and sit-down service.
The closings do not affect Red Robin’s 17 full-scale restaurants in the Chicago area, all of which are in the suburbs.
Pullout of all chicago metro urban locations, keeping the suburb spots. I totally understand why.
Red Robin Burgers suck anyway. they’re overpriced and Super dry
Hate to see anyone lose badly but, their food was on par with Chili’s...
The fast food changed closed? The fast food chain, maybe?
Quality journalism, lol.
Aside from price,why this move? Are they going out of business?
Nobody tipping ???