Longtime fans of Romano’s Macaroni Grill remember packed dining rooms, crayons on paper tablecloths, and huge bowls of pasta arriving at the table. Now, in many cities, those memories are all that is left. The 37‑year‑old Italian‑American chain has shrunk so much that some diners only find dark windows and “permanently closed” signs where their neighborhood restaurant used to be.
Recent shutdowns, including the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, location that operated for 20 years, have erased the brand from entire states. At its peak in the mid‑2000s, Romano’s Macaroni Grill ran about 219 restaurants; today, different reports put the number of operating U.S. locations somewhere under 20. Behind that steep drop are years of rising costs, heavy debt, and a casual‑dining model that no longer fits how many people eat out.
From Texas original to nationwide name
Romano’s Macaroni Grill began in 1988 in Leon Springs, Texas, when restaurateur Philip J. Romano turned a former ranch property outside San Antonio into a casual Italian spot. The concept, inspired by Italian country cooking and relaxed trattorias, emphasized generous portions, an open kitchen, and that famous “draw on the table” experience.
The formula caught on quickly. Brinker International, the company behind other big chains, bought the rights and expanded Macaroni Grill across the country, turning a local favorite into a familiar roadside sign off highways and near shopping malls. By around 2004, the chain had grown to roughly 219 locations and was seen as a serious rival to Olive Garden in the sit‑down Italian niche.
Bankruptcy marked a turning point
The growth streak did not last. On October 18, 2017, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, listing about 23 million dollars in secured debt and negative earnings on more than 200 million dollars in annual sales. Executives blamed a mix of declining traffic, rising labor and food costs, and a broader slump in casual dining as many customers shifted to cheaper, faster options.
Chapter 11 is a kind of financial reset that lets a business keep operating while it restructures its obligations. For Romano’s Macaroni Grill, that meant closing dozens of unprofitable restaurants and renegotiating tough leases with landlords who wanted higher rents than the brand could support. It was a painful process, but at the time it looked like a possible lifeline.
In February 2018, the chain emerged from bankruptcy after successfully reworking lease terms and vendor contracts and securing 13.5 million dollars in new capital to fund the turnaround. Then‑owner RedRock Partners sought to steady the business, and in 2023 the brand was sold again, this time to RMG Acquisition Company, which promised “a new chapter” while keeping the Italian comfort‑food focus.
Quiet closures leave only a handful of restaurants
Despite that reset, the closures never really stopped. The Harrisburg Macaroni Grill, on Brindle Drive, shut its doors in late 2025 with a note thanking guests for “20 great years,” marking the end of the chain’s presence in Pennsylvania. Similar stories have played out in California, Nevada, Hawaii, and even San Antonio, the brand’s birthplace.
The company’s own online locator has, until recently, shown around 17 U.S. locations, but some of those appear to be closed when you check local news, review sites, or mapping apps. A recent analysis by TheStreet, paired with reports from outlets such as the Houston Chronicle, suggests only about nine traditional restaurants are clearly operating in the continental United States, plus a few airport and special‑format units.
Those remaining sites include locations in El Cerrito, Milpitas, and Temecula in California, Church Ranch in Colorado, airport restaurants in Orlando and Chicago, and stand‑alone units in Montrose, Ohio, McAllen, Texas, and South Jordan, Utah. For customers in many other states, that means the nearest Macaroni Grill is now a long drive away or only a memory from past family dinners.
Why chains like Macaroni Grill are under pressure
What happened here is not just one company’s misstep. Across the U.S., full‑service chains have been wrestling with higher wages, more expensive ingredients, and customers who are more cautious about the final check and the added tip. Industry outlets such as Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Business have described a long slide for mid‑priced sit‑down brands as fast‑casual spots and delivery apps grab a bigger share of that Friday‑night pizza or pasta order.
Real estate is another big problem. Many Macaroni Grill buildings were put up decades ago under earlier owners, and when leases come up for renewal, landlords often want market rents that are far higher than what a struggling chain can justify. In practical terms, it can be cheaper to walk away and lock the doors than to sign on for another long lease and hope the crowds come back.
And Macaroni Grill is not alone. Recent reporting points to other legacy names such as Denny’s, Red Lobster, TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s, and Noodles & Company closing units as they try to adapt to the same pressures. For people who grew up treating these chains as the default spot after soccer games or school concerts, the slow disappearance can feel like watching a familiar part of the neighborhood fade out.
What comes next for Macaroni Grill?
Despite the closures, current chief executive Jason Kemp insists the story is not over. In interviews and recent coverage, he has talked about “Romano’s 2.0,” a plan that includes opening new locations in Utah, expanding a smaller sister concept called Twisted Mac, and selling the brand’s dishes in grocery store freezer aisles. It is a strategy built around a leaner footprint and new revenue streams rather than trying to rebuild the old 200‑plus‑restaurant empire.
Even so, the numbers show how narrow the path has become. Depending on the source, Romano’s Macaroni Grill now has somewhere between 9 and 19 operating U.S. restaurants, a tiny fraction of its former size, and some of the locations listed online may already be dark. For the most part, the chain seems to be betting on airports, a few strong suburbs, virtual brands, and retail products instead of the big roadside presence it once had.
For families who still remember drawing on the table while waiting for a plate of chicken parm, the brand’s future is a question mark. Will nostalgia and a new business model be enough to bring Macaroni Grill back into everyday dining routines, or will it stay a story people tell about “that Italian place we used to go to”?
