Economic woes hit restaurant row:
Bennigans, Steak & Ale shut down
The "fern bar and random crap on walls" concept was dealt a blow today, as corporate-owned Bennigans shut its doors, when parent S&A Restaurant Group filed Chapter 7. Bennigans has been struggling in the face of stiff competition from the T.G.I. Friday's® juggernaut, who for years has been been making new discoveries in "flair" research-- and according to their Forty Three Years of Fun FAQ, is credited with:
- Popularizing the term Happy Hour with the young singles set in the 1960's.
- Inventing the Long Island Iced Tea and Loaded Potato Skins.
- Popularizing frozen and ice cream drinks.
- Pioneering non-alcoholic Smoothies and Flings in honor of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Along with its flagship, Metromedia is shuttering Steak & Ale, Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse locations. (Could this be an end to 60s TV Western-themed meat joints?) [Note: these are apparently franchised through a different division of Metromedia.)
Apparently orphaned franchisees are said not to be affected by the bankruptcy-- although how useful is it to hold a franchise whose restaurants are apparently abandoned by employees?