IL Restaurant Closings: 2 Chains Could Close Locations

ILLINOIS — Two chain restaurants with locations throughout Illinois could close stores, according to reports.

Applebee's is expecting to close between 25 and 35 restaurants throughout the country, MassLive reported. Some Illinois eateries could close, but a list of which locations will shutter has not been released.

The casual dining chain serving American dishes such as burgers, pasta and "riblets" operates 35 restaurants in Illinois — including Joliet, McHenry, Chicago, Crestwood, Elgin and Springfield — and a total of more than 1,500 locations across 11 countries.

"Applebee's is a mature brand, and it is natural to have closures with changing trade areas and franchisee agreement expiration," Applebee's President Tony Moralego said in a statement, per MassLive. "We are in line with a 1-2% annual closure rate, which is normal for a brand of our age and development."

On the seafood side of the spectrum, Red Lobster abruptly shuttered more than 80 locations in at least 27 states on Monday, including two in Illinois, according to a report from FOX61. The impacted Red Lobster restaurants in Illinois are in Bloomingdale and Danville.

The company, known for its "Ultimate Endless Shrimp" deal, is seeking a buyer as it tries to avoid filing for bankruptcy, according to a report from CNBC. Red Lobster has considered filing for Chapter 11 as it's trying to restructure its debt and get out of costly and lengthy leases.

Its famous shrimp promotion — intended as a limited-time offer but brought in enough new customers that the chain added it to its permanent menu in June — resulted in $11 million in losses, Patch reported.

RELATED: Red Lobster, With 27 IL Locations, Eyes Bankruptcy After $11M Endless Shrimp Loss