Restaurants close their doors for various reasons, but owners don't always share why. Here's a look at 5 places that have permanently closed within the past few weeks.
Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday located in the Pike Creek Shopping Center at 4700 Limestone Road, closed its doors to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 7, according to Regency Centers, the shopping center’s commercial developer. The chain
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2020 after struggling from years of increased competition and in the face of the pandemic, but kept its four Delaware locations open. The casual dining chain emerged from bankruptcy a year later as a much smaller company.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Two Ruby Tuesday locations remain in the First State: in Milford at 945 N. DuPont Blvd. and in Middletown at 474 W. Main St. A Regency Centers spokesperson could not confirm whether a new tenant has signed on to take over the Pike Creek location.
The owners of the 17-year-old restaurant in the Concord Mall, which formerly had been located in the Independence Mall shopping center near Fairfax, said it was closing its doors on Sunday, Jan. 19. Rasa Sayang, which loosely translates to "Feel the Love," opened in 2008 in the Independence Mall shopping center. It moved into a larger space next to Boscov's in the Concord Mall in June 2020. Rasa Sayang was known for its roti canai, a Southeast Asian pancake, as well as soups, noodle dishes and spicy curries. It also serves sushi. No reason was given for Rasa Sayang's closing, announced on Wednesday, Jan. 8, in a message posted on its
Facebook page . The restaurant thanked customers for their support.
Located about 2½ miles away, at 2530 Concord Pike in Fairfax, Concord Diner posted on Thursday, Jan. 16 to its Facebook page that it was permanently closing. No date was given. Messages left at the diner were not immediately returned. In July 2023, the Concord Diner popped open at the site of the former Touch of Italy. The Italian restaurant operated at 2530 Concord Pike from 2018 until closing in April 2020 due to the pandemic, according to a post that Touch of Italy founder Bob Cipretti posted on its Facebook page. It never reopened for business. The building, next to the Charcoal Pit, had operated before that for about four years as a Big Fish Restaurant Group restaurant known as Bella Coast Italian Kitchen & Market. The sprawling space had 150 seats. Concord Diner touted that it was open for 24 hours soon after opening.
A farewell note on Thursday, Jan. 16, on the restaurant's Facebook page reads: "After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors permanently. We want to express our sincere gratitude for your support. It has been our pleasure to serve you, and we will cherish the memories made here. Thank you." We got word that the site will be reconfigured this summer as a French-themed restaurant under new ownership. Stay tuned for more updates. We'll let you know more when we know more.
Red Robin, Dover
Dover’s Red Robin, located at 40 N. DuPont Highway, quietly closed down on New Year’s Eve, to the surprise of community members and employees alike. R&R Realty, the site’s commercial developer, confirmed that another tenant had been signed on to the building, but could not confirm what tenant that was. The location initially opened up during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are four remaining Red Robin
locations in Delaware.
Hardee's, Bear
The Hardee’s restaurant located at 1801 Pulaski Highway in Bear closed early in January. Its franchisee, Summit Restaurant Holdings, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 and has since closed dozens of stores around the country, including one in Elkton, Maryland. Delaware still has
eight Hardee’s locations around the state.
Chick-fil-A, Concord Mall (temporarily closed)
The Chick-fil-A in Concord Mall posted on its Facebook page that it would be temporarily closed for remodeling. “Not goodbye, just ‘See You Soon!’ as we have officially begun construction on our remodel” the chain posted on Monday, Jan. 13. “We will be back, with waffle fries and big smiles, just like always!” No reopening date has been revealed as of yet.
