The parent company of Max & Erma’s yesterday closed 13 units of the casual dining chain as part of what it calls a streamlining.
All of the restaurants were “underperforming,” American Blue Ribbon Holdings said in a statement. The holding company, which also operates the O’Charley’s and Ninety Nine casual chains, said it remains committed to Max & Erma’s and will disclose the next steps in a revitalization plan for the brand next week.
ABRH also owns the Village Inn and Bakers Square family restaurant brands.
The company said it dispatched a senior executive to each of the underperforming Max & Erma’s restaurants to alert the staffs of the closings. “We felt that the best way to handle this news was to deliver the news in person,” it said in its statement.
Every team member was given a severance agreement, ABRH added. Unused food was donated to local charities.
The closed units were located in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Max & Erma’s had about 80 restaurants at the time that ABRH bought it in 2008 for $10.8 million. The chain’s website lists 51 stores currently in operation.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.