O’Charley’s has shut its company-owned restaurant operation, according to Restaurant Dive’s September 10 report, following a sharp decline in sales and an effort by parent Cannae Holdings to address the chain’s weak performance.
The trade publication reported that calls to two Kentucky restaurants reached recorded messages saying the locations had closed. It also reported that the chain’s website was no longer functioning. The findings followed local reports of shutdowns across the system.
The financial pressure was visible before the closures. In its second-quarter shareholder letter, Cannae reported that O’Charley’s same-store sales fell 13.1% from a year earlier. Management said it had been working on menu changes, guest service and the closure of underperforming restaurants to stabilize the business. Four O’Charley’s restaurants had closed earlier in 2026, the letter said.
That document also underscores a distinction in the financial reporting. Cannae presents O’Charley’s alongside Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub in its Restaurant Group. Losses reported for that group cover more than O’Charley’s and should not be read as the result of this chain alone.
The shutdown timetable is not identical for every operator. Restaurant Dive, citing WKBN’s reporting, said franchisee Covelli Enterprises received an extension to keep at least one restaurant operating through the end of September. Its report distinguished those franchised restaurants from the corporate operation.
The distinction matters for customers and employees because company-owned and franchised restaurants can have different operators and closing schedules. The corporate shutdown alone does not establish the last day of service for a separately operated restaurant.
For guests, the practical consequence is local: a familiar restaurant may no longer be operating, while a separately owned location could have a different schedule. Anyone planning a visit should confirm directly with that restaurant before traveling.
Sources
- Restaurant Dive’s September 10 closure report
- Cannae Holdings’ second-quarter shareholder letter, page 14
Lead image: An O’Charley’s restaurant in Acworth, Georgia, photographed in August 2016. File photo. Photo: [Thomson200 / Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:O%27Charley%27s_in_Acworth,_Georgia,_2016.jpg). [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). Image unchanged from the supplied file.
