Feb. 22--Eleven "under-performing" Einstein Bros. Bagels restaurants in the Chicago area and 28 others nationally are slated to close Tuesday, according to the company.
"After careful evaluation, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group Inc. (ENRGI) has come to the difficult decision to close 39 under-performing restaurants," the company said in a news release. "The company will continue to focus on its high-performing restaurants to ensure the future growth and success of the business."
According to the company's website, there were about 600 Einstein Bros. Bagels locations in 40 states.
The local restaurant locations scheduled to close Tuesday are:
--480 W. Army Trail Road in Carol Stream
--5318 N. Clark St. in Chicago
--2530 N. Clark St. in Chicago
--3455 N. Clark St. in Chicago
--3420 N. Southport Ave. in Chicago
--933 W. Diversey Parkway in Chicago
--948 W. Armitage Ave. in Chicago
--962-964 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago
--180 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago
--628 Vernon Ave. in Glencoe
--17W432 22nd St. in Oakbrook Terrace
There are still 21 Einstein stores across the area, four in Chicago. There was no information in the release on whether employees of the closing locations will be transferred to other locations.
JAB Holding Co. bought ENRGI in September. JAB owns two coffee shop chains, Peet's and Caribou, both purchased in 2012. Peet's had a limited presence in Chicago before announcing last fall that it planned to build 16 shops in the area. Most of the Caribou outlets in the area were closed last year, with Peet's shops replacing some.
