This Sitdown Restaurant Chain Shrinking With Just 1 IL Location

CHICAGO — Romano’s Macaroni Grill, the Italian sit-down chain that once had hundreds of restaurants, has shrunk to just nine locations, according to recent reports, although one restaurant remains open in Illinois.

A review late last year by PennLive found that Romano’s had been quietly shuttering locations across the country, with the chain’s website not reflecting all the apparent closures.

A Romano’s restaurant remained open at O'Hare International Airport, according to PennLive.

The company told Restaurant Business that locations in California, Nevada, Hawaii, Ohio and Pennsylvania had closed recently as a result of expiring leases, with the publication noting Romano’s had opened a new restaurant in Utah in late 2025.

As of late last year, Romano’s was in talks with multiple groups in the U.S. and had signed agreements in India and the Gulf region, CEO Jason Kemp told Restaurant Business.

Founded in 1988, Romano’s peaked in 2006 with nearly 250 restaurants, but by the late 2010s, it had filed for bankruptcy and was down to less than 100 locations, Restaurant Business reported.

The coronavirus pandemic brought more bad news for the chain, which shuttered half its restaurants in 2020, leaving it with just 43 locations, which have since continued to dwindle, according to Restaurant Business.