Billy Joel wrote 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood,' a song that captured an aching sense of longing for the great times of the past. Contrast that with this - Say Goodbye to Sbarro. Two trends are converging that threaten to make one of America's best known restaurant chains - Sbarro - extinct. Notice I said best known, not best loved.
For one Americans are eating a lot less take-away pizza in general, in favor of other quick finger food options like Chipotle. And shoppers are avoiding malls as well, it's a trend that has finally run its course, thousands of shopping centers have been shuttered around the country over the last few years.
When your business model is predicated on selling sub-standard, bland pizza at the mall you're screwed. That's why Sbarro corporate is experimenting with new (hopefully better tasting) custom pies in stand alone stores. But when your name is synonymous with bad food you have a PR nightmare to overcome first.
And Sbarro filed for bankruptcy for the second time in 3 years today. This following the closing of 155 locations in February 2014. My only question - what took so long?
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