After nearly two decades in Chattanooga, Romano's Macaroni Grill has closed is doors for the final time.
The Gunbarrel Road restaurant's last day was Monday, said Macaroni Grill spokesman Mike McCorkle. He termed the closure "a business decision."
McCorkle said the eatery employed about 25 people, and the restaurant has tried to place some of the workers at other sites.
On Tuesday, the big Macaroni Grill signs on the restaurant's exterior were covered.
Inside, sheets of paper posted on doors read "Thanks Chattanooga for 18 years of patronage. Please visit us at our nearest location in Murfreesboro."
A Roswell, Ga., company listed as the property owner didn't return a phone call.
The Gunbarrel Road restaurant scene is a robust one with an array of eateries appealing to a wide variety of tastes. In addition, nearby Hamilton Place mall also offers a slew of restaurants.
In this file photo, manager Riza Korur makes final preparations for the Nov. 8, 2001, opening of Romano's Macaroni Grill on Gunbarrel Road.At the same time, the value of the Romano's Macaroni Grill restaurant chain slid over most of the past decade.
According to the Houston Chronicle, ownership has bounced between four groups in seven years as the chain shed locations and its sale value dropped to $8 million in 2015 from $88 million in 2008.
Redrock Partners purchased the company from Houston-based Ignite Restaurant Group earlier this year, and the chain has been going partially fast-casual as a way to increase restaurant traffic and appeal to younger diners.
Macaroni Grill has introduced counter service, generating modest revenue gains, and its chief executive told the Houston newspaper that it's ready to expand its franchise network to more overseas markets.
Macaroni Grill's 150 domestic locations, which combined for about $300 million in sales, are almost all company-owned, the newspaper said. All of its overseas restaurants, in Bahrain, Egypt, Germany, Mexico, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, are franchisee-owned. They generate $40 million in sales.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.