ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL FILES CHAPTER 11

The owner of Denver-based Romano’s Macaroni Grill on Wednesday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming its falling fortunes on the changing tastes of diners who increasingly don’t want to eat at sit-down restaurant chains.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill and its rivals have been losing customers to cheaper and faster chains.

At the same time, younger customers prefer to dine at nonchain restaurants.

Early this week, sit-down chain Ruby Tuesday Inc. agreed to be sold for $146 million and taken private after tweaks to its menu and restaurants failed to boost sales.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill’s owner, Mac Acquisition LLC, says its 93 restaurants will remain open. It has six locations in Colorado.

The company has about 4,600 employees. — The Associated Press