Pie Five Pizza has pulled the plug on all eight of its Chicago locations this week as well as its locations in Minneapolis and Denver.
The closures came with little notice. According to a statement released by the chain, the shuttered restaurants will allow Pie Five to focus on growing in other markets.
Jami Zimmerman, a Pie Five spokeswoman, said the restaurants "just didn't take off in Chicago the way (executives) expected,” Crain’s Chicago reports.
At least six other fast-casual pizza chains entered the Chicago market around the same time Pie Five opened its first location in the city in April 2015.
Once a leader in the fast casual market, Pie Five has been having a tough time as of late. Same-store sales fell 17.4% at the end of last year. The chain recently hired former Smashburger chief Scott Crane as its new CEO in an effort to turn sales around.
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