Eat’n Park closing restaurants in Cleveland area
The Eat’n Park restaurant chain, a longtime favorite in Western Pennsylvania, is leaving the Cleveland market as diners there have apparently been less enamored of Smiley cookies and Superburgers.
The company, based in Homestead, announced Wednesday that it plans to close five locations in Ohio and one in New Castle, effective Feb. 17.
“Although this decision is sound business strategy, it is nevertheless difficult to part with team members who shared their loyalty and talents with us,” said Mercy Senchur, COO of Eat’n Park Restaurants, in an announcement.
The closings will affect about 200 employees, according to Kevin O’Connell, of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group.
The restaurants to be closed are in Boardman, Willoughby, Chapel Hill, Medina and Mentor, Ohio, in addition to the New Castle location.
Eat’n Park will continue to operate 61 locations, Mr. O’Connell said.
The restaurant chain plans to continue investing in markets where sales are growing, offering examples of plans to build a new restaurant in Butler at its current New Castle Road location and to rebuild its New Stanton site to add a pickup window. Another 30 restaurants are slated to be rebuilt or remodeled in the next three to five years, according to the company’s announcement.
Mr. O’Connell noted that takeout has become a big part of the sitdown restaurant’s business as consumer lifestyles change.
The company isn’t leaving Cleveland entirely. It operates a Hello Bistro restaurant in Beachwood, Ohio, and is planning a second location at Summit Mall in that market.
The Hello Bistro concept, which was launched in 2012, has a more limited menu than the Eat’n Park flagship group. Hello Bistro has seven locations in the Pittsburgh area and is also adding a location in State College, the company said.