Classic Restaurant Chains Are Closing Their doors. Why?

Red Lobster is closing over 50 stores across America.  Wait, no more all-you-can-eat shrimp and lobster? No more Cheddar Bay Biscuits? What the f is going on in the world??? This is mayhem, a disaster. The end of the world. . .For everyone else. But not us. Nope Nevada gets to keep the Cheddar Bay Biscuits for now. 

Classic restaurant chains are closing their doors. Why? Is it because of the economy or because they suck?  

Denny's just announced major closing all over, Applebee's has closed well over 300 restaurants since 2017 and plan on at least closing 25 more according to Eat This, a food-based publication. Outback Steakhouse anyone? Their parent company has closed a ton of restaurants, but plan on opening more. But, they won't be Outback Steakhouses. And now, Red Lobster is shutting down many locations in the country.  

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People want to blame the economy, as do the companies themselves. But for real? Look, I'm no economist, and I can barely keep my bank account straight. But according to Statista.com, companies made 3.4 TRILLION in the fourth quarter of 2023. And according to Fortune.com, that is record-high profits. As in the highest ever recorded. And to add insult to injury, it's also a $105 BILLION increase from the quarter before. Look, I barely know how to spell corporate greed, but I certainly know what it feels like. 

So, If they can't capitalize on these record profits then it must be that they suck, right?  

I mean aside from their little bead loaf they serve, the food at Outback Steakhouse blows more than a Blooming Onion blooms. Denny's "Moon over My Hammys," is a cute name. But to me, it's not a tasty dish. And, well, Applebee's is Applebee's.  

But Why Red Lobster? They don't suck. Cheddar Biscuits are the business. So is the answer both? Corporate greed sucks, but so does Applebee's? I mean both can be true, right?

Pizza. The greatest invention ever (next to tacos of course). And the pizza in Las Vegas is so good that naming the top five places might be tough. But I'm going to give it a shot anyways.

Italy is such an important country. There are so many cool things about this little boot hanging off Europe.

According toTtrafalgar.com, Italy has the smallest country in the world: Vatican City. And even though Rome is over 2000 years old, it's also the youngest country in Europe. Plus, did you know Italy has a free wine fountain? Yep, it's in Caldari di Ortona, and the wine flows 24/7, for free.

And of course, without Italy, we probably wouldn't have Pizza. The greatest invention ever (okay, tacos, we'll call it a tie).

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In 1860, in the Campania region of Naples, Pizza (almost as we know it), was born. The word "pizza" is thought to have come from the Latin word "pinsa", according to Pubblicoitalianeatery.com. Sure, it was around before that. According to history.com, flatbread with toppings on it was being consumed by ancient Egyptians, The Romans and The Greeks. But Naples is the birthplace of the pizza pie. It was cheap (the poor always create the best food it seems), could be eaten anywhere and it was easy to share with others.

And even though all those things were true, pizza wasn't super popular anywhere outside of Naples, until it took off in America.

Lombardi's, in New York, brought the Italian delicacy to the states in 1905, and is making pizza to this day, with the original oven. But, according to pizzafacts.net, it wasn't until after World War 2 that pizza really took off, especially after Hollywood started to get the original ‘influencers’, Joe Dimaggio, Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante, to endorse pizza.

Chefs come here to work at one of the Strip hotels, fall in love with the city and open their own places off strip. And that's why locals have so many killer choices around town. And pizzerias are no exception.

Here are my favorite places to grab a slice of pizza in Las Vegas.

Speaking of chefs from the Strip making their way into the real part of Las Vegas, Chef Roy Bass and Chris Builder did exactly that. And boy am I glad they did. Those Guys Pies have brought their Philly-style pies to The Lakes in Summerlin, North las Vegas and Henderson. They offer all kinds of killer options but, for me, the best pizza is the Maui Wowie. Bacon, jalapeno and pineapple (yes, I eat pineapple on pizza and I don't give a f---...hoot what you think).

Metro Pizza is one of the original pizzerias in Las Vegas. They opened their doors in 1980 and never looked back. They have all kinds of accolades, including being named Las Vegas' Greatest Pizzeria of All-Time in 2020. I'm a fan of the Modesto. It's loaded with sausages, tomatoes, garlic and basil. Side note: The meatball sliders are worth the calories.

They have 4 locations, so no matter what side of town you are in, Metro is close by. 

There’s so many good choices here. Mainly because you can customize your deep dish, stuffed or thin crust pizza. You can even customize your own personal size deep dish or stuffed pizza. That's cool.  You can't go wrong with whatever you choose at Amore's, but I will tell you they have a taco pizza that's heavenly. And one of my favorite things about Amore? They are right by the radio station.  

Although, being a Chiefs fan, I’m probably banned from this place (this is a diehard Buffalo Bills joint), but I don’t care. Besides, its not my fault the Bills keep trading with the Chiefs and losing out on players like Patrick Mahomes.

It's also not my fault that Naked City's pizza is incredible. They have a pizza called the Stinger and if you like Blue Cheese and Franks red hot sauce, this pizza is for you. I’m personally a huge fan of Buffalo 22. This bad boy has White Garlic Sauce, Pepperoni, Sausage. It also features a Roasted Garlic Crust with Crispy Garlic, and Hot Honey. Anything with hot Honey has my vote, every time.  Go Chiefs!

One of the best-tasting pizzas I have ever had in my life was at Pizza Rock. I was surprised it was so good. I mean, Pizza Rock seemed like a ‘corporate’ kind of joint, but I tell you what, their pizza is good. Corporate or not. They have all the styles too. Detroit, New York and  California (that's a style? I just thought it was something to get out of). Having said that, I’m all about Chicago Style with the cracker crust. My favorite being the Old Chicago. It has Sliced Meatballs, Italian Sausage, and little dollop of Ricotta. Plus it comes in square pieces, so it's super easy to share.