I think it's so sad that so many businesses are folding these days. I don't know if it's this way all over the US but it's very true in my part of Washington State. Just last night I was hit by a restaurant closure. My husband and I used to (wow, it's hard using past tense!) eat at this restaurant that was kind of like a TGI Fridays or a Red Robin. Ironically it was right next to Red Robin in this big lot that had three or four restaurants a few feet apart. Right across from the mall, so you'd think that business would be pretty good. This one restaurant has an e-mail club so yesterday I got an e-mail from them saying 'goodbye'. It said that their last day is today, the 28th and it had a coupon for a free appetizer with entree purchase. My husband and I went in and the manager recognized us and thanked us for eating there so often. Then the waitress recognized us and I told her that I was sorry to hear about the closure. She said that they had only been told two days before and that she was getting married in two weeks, so she wants to focus on that instead of finding another job right away. When we finished eating, she told us it was a pleasure serving us and that we were officially her last table. Man, I almost cried when she said that! :( I really should have hugged her, but I didn't.

So in the past month, I've seen three major restaurants (two of them chains) in one city that we used to frequent shut down. It's just terrible! Kind of like losing friends and I'm actually starting to worry if others will follow.

A ton of stores have gone out of business as well. There was a Linnens and Things in this same city that we used to go to. When they first started their closing sale, we were in there right before the store was going to close for the night. OMG, the manager in there was just horrible! He was actually yelling at customers who tried to come in, even though the store didn't close for another five or six minutes! He would yell across the store for people to hurry up because the store was going to close. That store really went through a bad change when they found out they were closing. After that, I didn't feel sorry for the guy at all. In fact, he should have been fired. I understand being bitter, but he should have been like the staff at this restaurant last night.

It's really sad. I told my husband that if this restaurant trend keeps up, we'll have to start eating at home!!:lol:

Andrea

We lost our Linens & Things store too, along with a Circuit City. I miss Media Play ("On Cue" in some areas) -- I believe it went under completely.

One of the things hurting businesses locally is the amount of road construction going on, an estimated 80 miles of roads closed simultaneously in my county alone. Some of that is due to a harsh winter, during which the need for persistent snow plowing caused damage.

So where I live, retailers, restaurants, and other businesses that were already struggling now face the severe problem of their customers not having easy access -- and many of the road projects seem to take forever to complete. Small, independent businesses just don't have a fighting chance it seems.

Same here. Eating places and other businesses have been closing. Since Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. and there are a lot of people here out of work, its hard to go out and shop these days, so that cuts into sales.

I think its a damn shame myself :(

We recently lost Quiznos but we still have 3 Subways. :rolleyes: I like Subway but this isn't a very large town and I can't see the need for 3. We also lost Friendly's which was no big deal to me because I can't stand the place. Goodys left town a few weeks ago but the 2 that hit me the hardest were Dog N Suds and Little Caesars. Both have been gone for several years now but I still miss them. :(

A few K-Mart's have closed down in my area. There is Carrows restaurant that will be closing down sometime in August.

A few K-Mart's have closed down in my area. There is Carrows restaurant that will be closing down sometime in August.

I forgot about K-Mart, We lost that one nearly 10 years ago and the building has been boarded up ever since. The asking price is over 1 million and it doesn't look like they're gonna sell it anytime soon.

We lost Goody's, Linens N Things, Circuit City, Radio Shack, a few restaurants (Pizza Hut and Taco Bell notably), and many other independent stores.

Goodys left town a few weeks ago but the 2 that hit me the hardest were Dog N Suds and Little Caesars. Both have been gone for several years now but I still miss them. :(

We still have Little Caesars, but I believe one of the locations is closing. We had Dog N Suds years ago.

I forgot about Kmart too. There used to be four Kmart stores in my area. Two closed a few years back, and another was converted into a Sears Essentials store. Now the Sears Ess. is closing, leaving just one Kmart that seems to be struggling.

Other franchises that have left my area include Venture, Builder's Square, Osco Drug, Dunkin' Donuts, Dixie Cream, Brown's Chicken, Chi-Chi's, and Big Boy.