O'Charley's abruptly closes all corporate-owned restaurants nationwide

All corporate-owned O'Charley's restaurants abruptly closed their doors this week, bringing a sudden end to the 55-year-old casual dining chain. The majority of closures occurred on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, with employees at locations across multiple states reporting they were informed the restaurants would shut down at 8 p.m. that evening. The closures were not publicly announced by the company. O'Charley's has disabled its primary social media accounts and did not respond to media inquiries. Employees described the decision as unexpected, with one stating it followed a board meeting and was not supposed to be known until staff arrived for work on Thursday. The chain's owner, Cannae Holdings Inc., reported significant financial declines in its second-quarter 2026 update. Guest counts fell 23.8% compared to the same period a year earlier, and comparable store sales dropped 13.1%. The company had been working to stabilize the business through menu changes and service improvements but was also exploring "strategic alternatives" for its restaurant group.