Brinker International Inc., (Dallas), the casual dining organization, closed 35 of its locations and laid off 155 employees.
The parent company of restaurant brands Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina will eliminate 55 positions at its home office and 100 positions in the field nationwide. It also completed the sale of its Romano’s Macaroni Grill chain.
The company said it wants to streamline, concentrating on developing more franchise-owned restaurant operations.
Brinker recently recorded a loss for the second quarter of 2009 and a as the company grappled with a 5.4 percent drop in same-store sales. Revenue for the 13-week period ending Dec. 24, 2008, was down 6 percent.