Macaroni Grill closes Mo. locations

Romanos+Macaroni+Grill+closed+its+Chesterfield+location+on+Dec.+29%2C+as+well+as+its+restaurants+in+Brentwood%2C+South+County+and+Columbia.+%E2%80%9CIt+was+a+corporate+decision+to+close+the+St.+Louis+locations%2C+most+likely+based+on+performance%2C%E2%80%9D+Libbey+Tucker%2C+Chesterfield+community+services+and+economic+development+director%2C+said.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill closed its Chesterfield location on Dec. 29, as well as its restaurants in Brentwood, South County and Columbia. “It was a corporate decision to close the St. Louis locations, most likely based on performance,” Libbey Tucker, Chesterfield community services and economic development director, said.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill closed its doors at their Chesterfield, Brentwood, South County and Columbia locations on Dec. 29.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chick-Fil-A will build new restaurants at the Brentwood and South County locations.

Libbey Tucker, Chesterfield community services and economic development director, said the Chesterfield Mall owns the building where the Macaroni Grill was located, and they plan on filling it with another restaurant.

“It was a corporate decision to close the St. Louis locations, most likely based on performance,” Tucker said.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill in Chesterfield experienced a 33 percent decline in sales from 2010 to 2013, Tucker said. In 2010, it was the nineteenth highest grossing restaurant in Chesterfield, whereas in 2013 it ranked forty-fifth.

The Macaroni Grill closing will affect city revenues, but not significantly, Tucker said, because there are over 160 restaurants in Chesterfield.

“The competition is strong,” Tucker said.

Anneliese Henshaw, sophomore, said she is not sad to see the Macaroni Grill go because she was not a fan of the food.

In years past, Henshaw used to eat at the Macaroni Grill almost once a week with her family, but they stopped going because they were displeased with the service.

“The waiters wore jeans instead of nice clothes and a smock, and it’s disgusting,” Henshaw said.

On the other hand, Jordan Shatto, freshman, said she was upset by the Macaroni Grill closing because she would often eat there with her family, at least every couple of months.

“It was like yum-dot-net,” Shatto said.

Shatto said she hopes Chick-Fil-A would move into the Chesterfield Macaroni Grill, like the locations in Brentwood and South County.

“Macaroni Grill is everything,” Shatto said.