Bennigan' bankruptcy?

The forum for general posting. Come join the madness. :)
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
KillerTomato
Posts: 2067
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:41 pm

Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#1 Post by KillerTomato » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:31 am

According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.
There is something wrong in a government where they who do the most have the least. There is something wrong when honesty wears a rag, and rascality a robe; when the loving, the tender, eat a crust while the infamous sit at banquets.
-- Robert G. Ingersoll

User avatar
Rexer25
It's all his fault. That'll be $10.
Posts: 2899
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:57 am
Location: Just this side of nowhere

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#2 Post by Rexer25 » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:34 am

KillerTomato wrote:According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.
I saw a report on the local CBS affiliate website that all Bennigan's and affiliated restaurants nationwide are to be closed today. Some franchised stores will remain open.
Enough already. It's my fault! Get over it!

That'll be $10, please.

User avatar
BackInTex
Posts: 13597
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: In Texas of course!

#3 Post by BackInTex » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:44 am

Wow!

What happened to Bennigan's is classic MBA numbnut finance.

They had a great concept but over the years they saw they could squeeze pennies by slightly degrading the product and service in unnoticable increments until it became unrecognizable to the original.

I have not been to a Bennigans in years but prior to my last visit I did not have a good experience in 4-5 visits spread over 2-3 years. So I gave up on them.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)

User avatar
sunflower
Bored Hooligan
Posts: 8010
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:32 am
Location: East Hartford, CT

#4 Post by sunflower » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:49 am

Our Bennigan's all closed about 2 or 3 years ago. Some replaced by local restaurants, another was replaced by Houlihan's.

User avatar
cindy.wellman
LOLOLOL
Posts: 1641
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#5 Post by cindy.wellman » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:57 am

KillerTomato wrote:According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.

I tried to peek at Metromedia's website to see if this is isolated to Bennigan's or if their other restaurants are involved. Their website is slower than molasses right now, but there is no mention of any of the closings. After thinking about it though, advertising on your own website that you are in the process of bankruptcy isn't too smart. LOL :oops:

User avatar
sunflower
Bored Hooligan
Posts: 8010
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 11:32 am
Location: East Hartford, CT

#6 Post by sunflower » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:05 am

I found this:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5913146.html

Hundreds of Bennigan's and Steak & Ale restaurants across the country will not open today.

Phones went unanswered this morning at several Houston locations and others had been disconnected.

Plano-based MetroMedia Restaurant Group confirmed that its subsidiary, S&A Restaurant Corp., has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. All corporate locations of its well-known storefronts, including Bennigan's, Steak & Ale and Tavern, will be shuttered for good.

Company spokeswoman Leah Templeton said franchised locations should not be affected, and it could not be determined immediately which of the Houston-area's 11 Bennigan's and six Steak & Ale locations will remain open.

MetroMedia will continue to operate its Ponderosa and Bonanza steakhouses, the company said in a statement.

User avatar
Rexer25
It's all his fault. That'll be $10.
Posts: 2899
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:57 am
Location: Just this side of nowhere

#7 Post by Rexer25 » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:07 am

Enough already. It's my fault! Get over it!

That'll be $10, please.

User avatar
BackInTex
Posts: 13597
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:43 pm
Location: In Texas of course!

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#8 Post by BackInTex » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:07 am

cindy.wellman wrote:
KillerTomato wrote:According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.

I tried to peek at Metromedia's website to see if this is isolated to Bennigan's or if their other restaurants are involved. Their website is slower than molasses right now, but there is no mention of any of the closings. After thinking about it though, advertising on your own website that you are in the process of bankruptcy isn't too smart. LOL :oops:
Local news is reporting the closure of all corporate Bennigan's and Steak 'n Ales. Ponderosa and Bonanza steak houses will continue to operate. Looks like Hop Sing gets to keep his job for a while longer.
..what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? let them take arms.
~~ Thomas Jefferson

War is where the government tells you who the bad guy is.
Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
-- Benjamin Franklin (maybe)

User avatar
cindy.wellman
LOLOLOL
Posts: 1641
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Alaska

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#9 Post by cindy.wellman » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:17 am

BackInTex wrote:
cindy.wellman wrote:
KillerTomato wrote:According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.

I tried to peek at Metromedia's website to see if this is isolated to Bennigan's or if their other restaurants are involved. Their website is slower than molasses right now, but there is no mention of any of the closings. After thinking about it though, advertising on your own website that you are in the process of bankruptcy isn't too smart. LOL :oops:
Local news is reporting the closure of all corporate Bennigan's and Steak 'n Ales. Ponderosa and Bonanza steak houses will continue to operate. Looks like Hop Sing gets to keep his job for a while longer.
OH no! My first 'job' was at Steak&Ale. We were supposedly the only one in the country that had a Bennigan's in the same building. Bennigan's stayed open much later than Steak&Ale, so it was great to head over there after work. It was a nice place to work, and is still a nice place to eat. I got to pick where we would go for Mother's Day and since we were in ABQ over Mother's Day, I picked Steak&Ale! :)

User avatar
silverscreenselect
Posts: 24388
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:21 pm
Contact:

#10 Post by silverscreenselect » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:25 am

My mother used to get Bennigan's and Houlihan's confused and would tell us that she found a new restaurant she really liked called Hooligan's.

User avatar
cindy.wellman
LOLOLOL
Posts: 1641
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Alaska

#11 Post by cindy.wellman » Tue Jul 29, 2008 11:26 am

silverscreenselect wrote:My mother used to get Bennigan's and Houlihan's confused and would tell us that she found a new restaurant she really liked called Hooligan's.
:lol: That is cute!

User avatar
Bob Juch
Posts: 27071
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 11:58 am
Location: Oro Valley, Arizona
Contact:

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#12 Post by Bob Juch » Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:42 pm

KillerTomato wrote:According to several reports it looks as though Bennigan's (my former NTN home) is shutting down. I'm not sure if this affects all of their locations (for the sake of my former teammates, I hope not!), but at least some locations shuttered their doors this morning.
They're not answering the phone.

Some people who lived to the south had already started playing at a new Houlihan's in Princeton. I expect the players will either go there or to the Houlihan's north of there on Highway 1. No one plays at the Houlihan's closest to me.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)

Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.

Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.

User avatar
JBillyGirl
Posts: 882
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:57 am
Location: New Jersey

Re: Bennigan' bankruptcy?

#13 Post by JBillyGirl » Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:04 pm

Bob Juch wrote:Some people who lived to the south had already started playing at a new Houlihan's in Princeton. I expect the players will either go there or to the Houlihan's north of there on Highway 1. No one plays at the Houlihan's closest to me.
NTN -- excuse me, "Buzztime" -- at the new Houlihan's in Princeton (actually Lawrenceville, also on Highway 1)? Cool! That almost makes up for the loss of Bennigan's, which I do mourn. Maybe I'll be able to come around on weekends, though I still won't be able to make Tuesday nights.

User avatar
VAdame
Posts: 1877
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:42 am
Location: da 'Burgh!

#14 Post by VAdame » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:17 pm

Rosemary & I were planning to go to Bennigans for a late lunch after my audition -- imagine our surprise when there was a big sign on the door informing us it was closed! Since the Springfield Virginia Bennigans is in a mall -- and we were very hungry by then since it was 3 PM! -- we just wandered down to the food court & I ended up with a not-very-good Gyro :(

Didn't hear about the bankruptcy till hearing it on the radio on the way home.

melleon
Posts: 257
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:28 pm

#15 Post by melleon » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:27 pm

How sad...hubby and I had our first date at a Bennigans in Florham park NJ...they had some awesome fried zucchini with horseradish sauce...

User avatar
mellytu74
Posts: 9656
Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:02 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

#16 Post by mellytu74 » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:01 pm

silverscreenselect wrote:My mother used to get Bennigan's and Houlihan's confused and would tell us that she found a new restaurant she really liked called Hooligan's.
Once, TLAF REALLY wanted to go to Houlihan's near her old house in NE Philadelphia. So, we took her.

When we got there, she was looking around and around and got increasingly agitated. She wanted to know where Katie was.

Katie is my friend's daughter, older sister to my goddaugher. She has Down's Syndrome. She worked at the restaurant putting the rings around the napkins and silverware. The staff loved her (she's a good kid) and she loved working there.

Of course, you know what's coming.

Katie worked at Bennigan's, down the street from Houlihan's.

AND she had gotten laid off about two months earlier because of slow business.

The Bennigan's near the Houlihan's lost a lot of business when Chickie and Pete's, the legendary Philadelphia sports bar (named as Number Two - or Three. Can't remember which - sports bar in the US by ESPN) opened a branch at the corner.

Post Reply