RestaurantData Estimates 8,171 Restaurant Closures in First Half of 2026

Source: RestaurantData

An estimated 8,171 restaurant locations closed across the United States and Canada during the first half of 2026, according to a new market analysis from RestaurantData.

The research found that closures were divided almost evenly between chain-affiliated and independent restaurants. Chain locations accounted for 4,253 closures, or 52.1% of the total, while 3,918 independent restaurants with no known affiliation represented 47.9%.

Although the overall totals were close, RestaurantData found substantial differences in the types of restaurants closing within each ownership category.

Chain-affiliated restaurants accounted for 3,013 of the 4,092 quick-service closures identified in the report. That represented 73.6% of all quick-service closures. Independent operators, meanwhile, accounted for 2,318 of the 2,793 closures in the casual and family-dining category, or 83%.

The findings indicate that chain and independent restaurant turnover was concentrated in distinctly different operating formats. Chains were more heavily represented among counter-service closures, while independents accounted for most closures involving traditional casual and family-dining restaurants.

Texas Recorded the Largest Closure Total

According to RestaurantData, Texas recorded an estimated 1,039 restaurant closures from January through June, the highest total among U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

New York ranked second with 543 estimated closures, followed by California with 391, Illinois with 356 and North Carolina with 302.

Houston led the city-level analysis with 119 closures, narrowly exceeding New York City, which recorded 117. Chicago followed with 82 closures, while San Antonio had 70 and Las Vegas had 60.

At the metropolitan level, the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island market led with an estimated 491 closures. The Chicago metropolitan area followed with 251, while Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston recorded 240 and 239, respectively.

RestaurantData cautioned that these figures represent raw closure totals, not closure rates. Larger markets generally contain more operating restaurants and may therefore generate higher numbers of both openings and closures. Determining which markets experienced the greatest relative pressure would require comparing closures with the total number of active restaurants in each area.

Quick-Service Restaurants Represented More Than Half of Closures

Quick-service restaurants accounted for 4,092 closures, representing 51.5% of records with a valid service-format classification.

Casual and family-dining restaurants accounted for another 2,793 closures, or 35.2%, while fast-casual concepts represented 861 closures, or 10.8%.

Sandwich restaurants formed the largest cuisine category in the RestaurantData analysis. The category accounted for 2,120 closures, representing 26.2% of locations with a primary-cuisine classification.

Bar-food restaurants followed with 987 estimated closures, while American restaurants accounted for 702. Bakery and cafe concepts recorded 511 closures, followed by pizza restaurants with 479 and Mexican or Latin restaurants with 435.

The large sandwich category was closely associated with the quick-service segment. RestaurantData reported that nearly 97% of classified sandwich closures were quick-service locations.

Smaller, Lower-Check Locations Were Prominent

The typical restaurant represented in the closure file had a relatively small operating footprint.

Among locations with usable size information, 3,080 had fewer than 25 seats. An additional 3,897 occupied between 1,000 and 1,999 square feet.

Approximately 58% of locations with a usable pricing classification were included in the $4-to-$15-plus check-average category. Locations with estimated annual sales below $750,000 represented 39.8% of classified records.

Recently established restaurants were also highly visible in the findings. Among locations with a known establishment year, 1,677 had opened between 2024 and 2026, representing 39.9% of the classified total.

RestaurantData noted that the figure does not establish that recently opened restaurants had a higher failure rate. That conclusion would require comparing closures with the total number of active restaurants established during the same period.

The report also measures individual location closures rather than company failures or bankruptcies. Restaurants may close because of lease expirations, relocations, ownership changes, conversions, portfolio adjustments or the permanent cessation of the business.

The findings provide a detailed view of restaurant-market turnover during the first half of the year. Comparisons with new openings, active-location counts and future closure periods could provide a broader view of which markets and restaurant categories are expanding, contracting or experiencing elevated turnover.

Source and attribution: This article is based on research published by RestaurantData. Read the complete First-Half 2026 U.S. & Canada Restaurant Closure Report.