Ruby Tuesdays quietly closing

Five Hampton Roads locations’ phones have been disconnected

Nearly half the Ruby Tuesdays in Hampton Roads appear to be out of business.

Neither the corporate office nor the company’s PR firm responded to a request for confirmation. Yet five Hampton Roads locations of the casual, sit-down restaurant have been removed from the company’s website, and those locations’ phones have been disconnected.

This includes every Ruby Tuesday on the Peninsula: Hampton, York County and Williamsburg-area restaurants have all switched off their phones. Also unresponsive are the Norfolk restaurant on Hampton Boulevard, and the Portsmouth Ruby Tuesday on Victory Boulevard.

Hampton Roads isn’t alone in missing Ruby Tuesdays.

The chain has closed at least 148 locations nationwide between January and April, according to a May 28 report by Business Insider, whose list did not include these Virginia closures.

The nearly 50-year-old chain, named after the Rolling Stones’ song about love and loss and the changing of the times, has been dropping locations for years, including here in Virginia: Three former Ruby Tuesdays in Virginia Beach are now occupied by local chains The Dirty Buffalo, Las Palmas, and Park Lane Tavern.

But the pandemic has quickened the pace of the closures. The chain issued a statement in May:

“During these uncertain times, and after careful consideration, we have made the decision to close select locations in an effort to better position our restaurants for future business. We value the dedication and hard work of all our employees and we greatly appreciate all those who support us. We will continue to work hard to make the Ruby Tuesday brand even stronger for the future.”

Six locations remain open in Hampton Roads: Tidewater Drive and Military Highway in Norfolk, Greenbrier in Chesapeake, Pembroke in Virginia Beach, and Harbour View and Centerbrooke Village in Suffolk.