Joe’s Crab Shack closes over 40 locations with no warning

When it comes to Joe’s Crab Shack’s Lobster Daddy Feast and Crab Cake Dinner, apparently America isn’t buying. 

The popular beach-themed seafood chain closed 41 locations across the United States with no warning.

Its parent company, Ignite Restaurant Group, filed for bankruptcy in June. Landry’s Inc. won a $57million auction to buy the Joe’s Crab Shack and Brick House Tavern + Tap chains.

The popular beach-themed seafood chain Joe’s Crab Shack closed 41 locations 

At its peak in 2014, the seafood chain had 139 restaurants across the United States. It now operates just 72 locations, according to its website.

It slowly began closing restaurants as sales problems increased, declining to 130 locations in 2015, and then 112 at the end of 2016.

The multiple closings were abrupt and caught both employees and customers by surprise. 

Its parent company filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 after going public in 2012

Its parent company filed for bankruptcy in June 2017 after going public in 2012

72 restaurants remain and 33 locations are in three states: Texas, California and Florida.

72 restaurants remain and 33 locations are in three states: Texas, California and Florida.

Employees at a Hampton, Virginia, location showed up for work Tuesday morning to find out the restaurant had been closed. 

‘To hear that we shut down, no warning, no nothing…[I] pulled out my computer and immediately started applying,’ an employee told WVEC.

The Roseville, Minnesota, location, had a sign placed on top the handmade closed sign was written telling guests of a party scheduled for the restaurant.

The company has not made an official statement regarding the sudden closings and instead quietly removed the shuttered restaurants from its website. 

Of the 72 restaurants remaining, 33 locations are in three states: Texas, California and Florida. 

Consumerist compiled a list of restaurants by scouring local media.

The restaurant was founded in Houston in 1991. The chain was sold to a private equity firm in 2006 for $192million and went public in 2012. At the time it had 122 locations.

JOE’S CRAB SHACK CLOSURES

 Meadowbrook, AL

City of Industry, CA

San Diego, CA

San Francisco, CA

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Lake Buena Vista, FL

Lauderhill, FL

Duluth, GA

Olathe, KS

Fairview Heights, IL

Gurnee, IL

Schaumburg, IL

Indianapolis, IN

Merrillville, IN

Hanover, MD

Ann Arbor, MI

Lake Orion, MI

 Sterling Heights, MI

Roseville, MN

Independence, MO

 St. Peters, MO

Omaha, NE

Brick, NJ

Eatontown, NJ

Henderson, NV

Amherst, NY

Deer Park, NY

Rochester, NY

Westbury, NY

West Nyack, NY

Oklahoma City, OK

Tulsa, OK

Arlington, TX

Dallas, TX

Houston, TX

Lewisville, TX

McAllen, TX

Pearland, TX

West Jordan, UT

Hampton, VA

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