Community members, Facebook groups, and Yelp reviewers have all been reporting the same thing: the Laramie Applebee’s has closed for good. After this speculation unfolded over the last month, Applebee’s itself officially announced their closure with a website announcement citing low traffic and poor profit performance. The sign outside the restaurant thanks Laramie for having them as many are curious what will replace this cost-friendly chain staple of this small college town. With much of the employee base at Applebee’s consisting of college students, this loss will limit the already shrinking employment options for those students who want to work somewhere other than the University.
Many people on Facebook are praising the closure, claiming they experienced bad service or poor food quality. One member of a group even claimed they once watched a line cook quit and walk out in the middle of a shift. With the poor reputation Applebee’s has garnered as a national chain and traffic dying as profits suffer, it is no surprise to the community that the restaurant is now closing its doors. This closure is in a chain of a variety of closures in the Dine Brands group, which also owns IHOP. The Cheyenne IHOP having already closed, the end of the Laramie Applebee’s simply follows this trend.
In addition to the national trend, this follows suit in the footsteps of many local businesses. With Accomplice closing its doors and being replaced by the Railyard, many shops shutting down due to constant construction on Third Street, and gas stations being removed from the streets of town as Laramie’s community faces difficulties in the wake of economic distress, Applebee’s is just another on a long list. The community, however, is not distressed at this closure. With good reviews being few and far between, the Laramie Applebee’s will ultimately not be missed by many it seems.
