Chili’s Franchisee Abruptly Closes Oregon Restaurants
According to The Portland Tribune, Chili’s franchisee Quality Restaurants Northwest (part of the Huntington Restaurant Group Inc., a franchise company with $13.4 million in sales last year) Beaverton, Bethany, Lake Oswego and Wilsonville in Oregon and Bellevue and Issaquah, Wash. are closing, leaving an estimated 200 people out of work. Chili’s restaurants in Clackamas and Eugene, Oregon will remain open and be run by franchisor Brinker International.
According to a spokeswoman for the of Dallas, Texas-based parent company of Chili’s Inc., Brinker International Inc., the decision to close the restaurants was made by the franchise holder, Quality Restaurants Northwest Inc. of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Brinker International operates more than 1,700 restaurants across the nation, including Chili’s Grill and Bar, Chili’s Too, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, On the Border Mexican Grill and Maggiano’s Little Italy.
Could the economy be having this devastating an effect on franchises in general? What do you think?
I think Brinker at least should let us know why, Now they aren’t in Oregon at all.
It’s really messed up that we can’t get Chili’s anywhere here in Oregon what is the reasoning behind this why are there no chilis restaurants here in Oregon at all that’s really not fair. Somebody should reach out let us know why.
Bummer, Amber. There are indeed no Chili’s in Oregon, and only one in Washington.
Guess it’s drive to Spokane or cough up $2M-$4M to open one.
Or you could move to Texas where there are about 150 Chili’s.
I hear Gun Barrel City, TX is nice this time of year.