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.
“will remain open but under a new nameplate, Red Robin Express”
I’m sure a name change will make the burgers taste better ...