7 Restaurants That Will Disappear by 2027 (And 3 That Will Thrive)
Over sixteen hundred American restaurants are closing in the next twelve months. Most people have no idea which ones are already gone.
Most people assume restaurant chains are basically the same as they were five years ago.
Familiar names. Familiar menus. And millions of loyal customers who keep showing up out of habit.
But when you start looking at the earnings calls, the franchise agreements, the SEC filings, and what’s quietly happening inside these kitchens — some very serious differences begin to emerge.
And in several cases, what customers believe they’re walking into… isn’t exactly the full story anymore.
Some of these brands have been trusted by families for decades.
But when you examine how they’re being managed, how portions are being quietly changed, and what’s happening to the people who own and operate the locations — the picture looks very different from what the marketing shows.
And a few of the results will surprise even people who eat at these places every week.
In this video, you’ll find out:
– Which chains are on a documented path toward mass closures
– Which ones are being quietly sold, auctioned, or dismantled by their own parent companies
– The financial moves most customers never hear about
– And which three chains are actually growing — and why
The most important part of this video?
One of the chains in the winners’ column just made a decision that could turn it into the next cautionary tale. Whether that happens depends on a single question nobody in the industry wants to answer.
If you want to know what’s really happening behind the counter — not what the press releases say — subscribe to In Plain Bite and turn on notifications.
New videos investigate what the chains, the parent companies, and the private equity firms hope you never look up.
📺 Watch the full video to see the complete breakdown.
🔥 Watch Next:
►15 Big US Retailers That Are In Deep, Deep Trouble
This video covers restaurant chain closures, fast food failures, casual dining collapse, private equity and restaurant franchises, food quality decline, consumer value investigation, and the real reasons behind major brand downsizing in two thousand twenty-six.
About In Plain Bite
📺 Videos investigating what’s really happening inside major food chains, restaurant brands, and grocery stores.
From hidden financial moves to quiet quality cuts, we break down the details most customers never notice.
🎙 Written, voiced and produced by In Plain Bite
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#RestaurantClosings #FastFoodCrisis #ConsumerAlert
49 Comments
Nelson Peltz belongs in prison
Wendy's I would buy 2 large Frosty 's every 5 days. I drove in about 2-3 weeks ago and the large cup was replaced with a medium cup, but the price didn't change. I thought I try once more. This time the large cup was replaced with a small cup. I asked is this a large and she said yes it was. I'm not spending over $8.00 for 2 small cups. Most of the fast food in my town is horrible. McDonald's. I got a BigMac took 1 bite opened it up checking the meat because it didn't taste like beef. Jersey Mike's. I got roast beef, no chips or drink. They asked if I wanted to donate to something for kids and I said yes. Which is how a 6" sandwich cost $20.00. Burger King. Only went because they use to have a decent char-broiled burger. Not sure if that meat was beef. Subway. Gone back because they're better than Jersey Mike's and definitely cheaper. Taco Bell. Good for a clean out of your intestines. Whopper. Don't care for their food. El Pollo Loco. best chicken around wish they had more locations the only one near me is 20 miles away
I ate Subway in 2018 and it already tasted like toxic waste cardboard sprinkled with mold. It's a miracle they even exist to this day.
If I gave you the opportunity to be the CEO of "Place X" and you saw the opportunity to retire a multi hundred millionaire, but the catch was, you would destroy "Place X", you would destroy it. It's human nature and there are no regulations.
Private equity (BLACKROCK) is bleeding America dry.
pizza hut 🛖 n kissimmee fl sucks
pizza hut changed their ingredients in the early 2010's and taste went to crap. havent ate there since. when i 1st got outta college in 06 i used to get pizzas delivered on friday night and eat them all weekend… every weekend.. now i never eat there.
Our local subway remodeled and is an empty as ever. I recently stopped to get a salad like I used to enjoy. Sorry, we don't serve salads was their reply. Subway is a lost cause. The mom and pop local Italian pizza place makes way better subs. Done with Subway. Fast food has just gotten too damn expensive for what you get. You open the wrapper and your first thought now is…"Gee, I see how they're cutting back in costs."
I have not eaten any fast food in over 35 years and won't be in this lifetime. Obvious reasons.
Why is it that chains that were “going out of business” and “quietly dying” in 2019, 2020, — 2024, 2025 and now STILL open? Same nonsense, different channel.
When I found out Wendy’s started serving Hala chicken I stopped going. The way they kill animals with Hala is disgusting. Also KFC and Swiss Chalet do the same.
A local mom & pop's sell a HUGE captain's platter for $24. Lot's of oysters. 2 pieces of flounder, shrimp, 2 sides, stuffed crab & bread. We order water with lemon and leave a $5 tip. We split the platter and it's plenty. It beats McDonald's to death!
Restaurants always go out of business. There are thousand pizza places the idea of a pizza chain doesn’t have the excitement it had 30 years ago.
They just opened a Bahama Breeze by me about 2 years ago. Don't know if it is about to close, though. One person I know said they went there and it wasn't good.
@8:22 Exactly 2002 – shitstorm ever since, clearly ripping people off with the APP!
Forest Lake MN just lost its Pizza Hut last weekend and they won't be missed. And Burger King is next.
Buffalo wild wings is going down fast bad food and poor service.😮
Americans are treading water, everything cost a fortune! People aren't buying restaurant food because they can't afford it.
Another sloppy AI video.
Youtube, don't recommend AI videos to me anymore please!!
The crap is either fake or regurgitated old news.
i’ll look past the building that needs paint if it’s clean and the food is healthy and good. stop tearing down buildings and building new ones. just make the food better.
I miss Papa John's both them and pizza hut are closing they used to be so good now we are stuck with pizza hut
Texas Roadhouse has changed the quality of steak the ribeye is tough I didn't even know that was possible.
Jersey mikes will dies soon because of private equity firms
FAST FOOD JOINS ARE NOT RESTAURANTS THEY ARE HAMBURGER STANDS
OLIVE GARDEN THE STAKE HOUSE THOSE ARE RESTAURANTS
Private Equity Firms are the death of America
The key words for failure are corporate and investment holdings. As others previously mentioned, I also stopped going to fast food and casual dining. I don't miss them, though will admit some fond memories from years ago.
The Wendy's for the past 29 years by my house just closed up this week.
We went to a nearby Red Robin after not visting there in a few months. It is the definition of ShrinkFlation. Smaller burgers at elevated prices, and not the same quality. We won't go there again.
Panera Bread, Wendy's and Subway have all left my area. Good riddance!!
Private equity … death.
I love Texas Roadhouse, but I agree that the music is so loud that any conversation is impossible. My local Wendy's, which I used to visit often, demands that you order through a kiosk, and the workers do not speak any English to help out. Subway is getting too expensive!
How do you lose a burger fight with McDonald’s they’re terrible.
The Wendy's near my home closed and the signs were off in less than a week.
I still like Wendy's, but I like them for their salads, their chili, their baked potatoes and their Frosties. Although I love their salads, I do miss their salad bars. They have been long gone.
Burgers? In-N-Out. A couple times a year Pizza? Barros. Every 3-4 months. Nobody else for decades.
Maybe once a month, Panda, Jack tacos, Culver’s,
I love wendys
When the value to the customer is less than the cost of the product, it's no surprise that there's a noticeable drop in sales. I retired last year. No more eating out or delivery. I've got the time and the skill to cook my own food, as do the other members of the household. I'm eating better and cheaper than I have in years. Unless I'm taking a road trip, I see no need to patronize any of these restaurants.
The only time I eat fast food is when I'm traveling. Now, I don't even bother with places like Wendy's, Arby's, Carl's Junior or McDonalds. They are just expensive horribleness. I'll stop at a Waffle House when going South, as they still serve good, hot food with excellent service. As far as take out locally, I frequent two locally-owned sandwich shops, which are quite good. Pizza? I used to order Pizza Hut all the time, but haven't for years. There are a couple of local pizza joints that are still very good, mostly BlackJack Pizza, which has the best salads in town, and great pizza. Mostly, I just cook for myself, large quantities and freeze the leftovers.
Really ? You can’t be fired on your birthday? Worst channel of the month so far .
The last time I went to Bahama Breeze, I ordered a Cuban Sandwich. There was no pulled pork, only lunch-meat. I complained, and they more or less told me "Tough". I said, "Yeah, I know, tough lunch meat on a falsely-advertised Cuban Sandwich." Never went back.
Wendy Thomas needs to become CEO of Wendy’s!!
Subway: The absolute LAST RESORT. Hunger, or Dollar Store popcorn and a diet coke are better choices.
Papa John's: Never have, never will. Good riddance to these crooks who have never paid their employees properly.
Wendy's used to be great. Now it's as expensive as Culver's, but the food's not half as good.
As far as Wendy's goes, I went to one near the airport in Lynchburg Virginia and ordered a double with no cheese and it took 3 times to get the burger with no cheese even though the receipt clearly said no cheese. I quietly and politely gave back the burger made wrong both times. The shift manager had an attitude and I just quietly asked why is this so hard? She loudly announced that she would make it herself. She did and it was right the third time. That was a couple of years ago and I haven't been back. Its fine to make a mistake from time to time, but be professional about it.
Roark Capital is an organized crime organization!! They needed to go to prison for many crimes and inbezzlements!!
Jersey Mike's: Unfortunately, there is not a location in my city of 85,000.
I'll default to a real sub shop than Jeraey Mike's. I live in New Jersey