McAllen Macaroni Grill remains only Texas location as chain shrinks

Only 9 locations remain across the country from high of 219 restaurants

McAllen News, Mcallen TX News, restaurant closures, Macaroni Grill

Staff Report

McAllen, TX - The Romano’s Macaroni Grill restaurant in McAllen is now the only remaining location in Texas as the once-national Italian dining chain continues to shrink amid widespread closures, according to a recent report by The Street, an online business news site.

Chain reduced to single-digit locations

The article reports that Macaroni Grill, a longtime competitor to Olive Garden, has been reduced to just nine restaurants nationwide after years of financial struggles, ownership changes and declining traffic at casual dining chains. Most remaining locations are concentrated outside Texas, making the McAllen restaurant a geographic outlier.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill was founded in 1988 in Leon Springs, near San Antonio, by restaurateur Philip J. Romano and quickly grew into a national casual-dining brand. The chain reached its peak in 2004, operating 219 locations across the United States, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Its expansion slowed several years later, and in late 2008 Brinker International sold its majority interest in the company, a move that was followed by the start of its restaurant closures, according to a Brinker press release.

McAllen stands alone in Texas

All other Macaroni Grill locations in Texas have closed, leaving the McAllen restaurant as the state’s sole survivor. The report did not indicate plans for immediate closure of the McAllen location, but noted that the chain’s overall footprint has dramatically contracted from its peak, when it operated hundreds of restaurants across the U.S. and internationally.

Industry pressures cited

According to The Street, Macaroni Grill’s decline reflects broader challenges in the casual dining sector, including rising labor and food costs, changing consumer preferences and increased competition from fast-casual and local dining options. The chain has gone through multiple ownership changes and bankruptcies over the past decade.

Uncertain future

While the McAllen restaurant continues to operate, the article notes that the future of the brand remains uncertain given the small number of remaining locations nationwide.

Source -- The Street online business and restaurant industry report.