Long John Silver’s Store Closures have gained renewed attention in July 2026 after newly reported franchise disclosure information showed that the seafood fast-food chain closed about 30 U.S. restaurants across 18 states during 2025. The figures highlight the continuing decline in Long John Silver’s restaurant count, but they do not mean the company has announced a nationwide shutdown. In fact, the chain is also opening restaurants, remodeling existing stores and reporting growth in comparable-store sales.
The latest available information shows a business with a smaller footprint than it had a decade ago but one that is still actively operating and investing in its restaurant network. As of July 30, 2026, there is no official announcement that Long John Silver’s plans to close all of its restaurants or go out of business.
Long John Silver’s Closed About 30 Restaurants in 2025
The latest attention surrounding Long John Silver’s Store Closures stems largely from franchise disclosure information issued in 2026.
The disclosure showed that approximately 30 Long John Silver’s restaurants closed across 18 states during 2025. The chain finished the year with 479 U.S. locations, compared with 502 at the end of 2024.
That represents a net reduction of 23 restaurants during the year.
The difference between the number of closures and the net decline is important because Long John Silver’s was also adding restaurants. Franchisees opened five locations during 2025, while the company opened another five company-owned restaurants.
In other words, the restaurant chain experienced significant closures, but it was not simply shutting locations without making new investments elsewhere.
States Affected by Long John Silver’s Store Closures
The approximately 30 restaurant closures reported for 2025 were spread across 18 states.
The reported state-by-state totals were:
- Arizona — 3 closures
- Colorado — 2 closures
- Connecticut — 2 closures
- Florida — 1 closure
- Indiana — 1 closure
- Kansas — 1 closure
- Kentucky — 1 closure
- Maryland — 1 closure
- Michigan — 1 closure
- Missouri — 1 closure
- Nebraska — 2 closures
- New York — 2 closures
- Ohio — 5 closures
- Pennsylvania — 1 closure
- South Carolina — 1 closure
- Tennessee — 1 closure
- Texas — 3 closures
- Virginia — 1 closure
Ohio experienced the largest number of reported closures, with five restaurants shutting during the year. Arizona and Texas followed with three closures each.
These numbers refer to restaurants that closed during 2025. They should not be interpreted as an announcement that all remaining Long John Silver’s locations in those states are closing.
Is Long John Silver’s Planning a Nationwide Shutdown?
There is currently no official announcement of a nationwide Long John Silver’s shutdown.
That distinction has become particularly important as reports about the company’s shrinking restaurant footprint circulate online.
Long John Silver’s has said that recent closures were individual market decisions rather than part of a broad corporate initiative to shut large numbers of restaurants nationwide.
The company has indicated that restaurants may close for several location-specific reasons, including lease expirations, changing trade areas, relocations and other normal business considerations.
Therefore, the closure of one Long John Silver’s restaurant does not necessarily mean neighboring locations or all restaurants within the same state are expected to close.
The company also has not publicly confirmed a specific nationwide target for how many restaurants it expects to close during 2026.
How Many Long John Silver’s Locations Are Left?
Long John Silver’s ended 2025 with 479 U.S. restaurants, according to the latest franchise disclosure figures.
Company executives provided another snapshot of the restaurant network in June 2026, saying Long John Silver’s had approximately 214 company-owned restaurants and about 262 franchised restaurants.
That would put the network at roughly 476 locations at that point, although restaurant totals can fluctuate as locations open, close, relocate or temporarily shut for remodeling.
The broader trend is nevertheless clear: Long John Silver’s operates substantially fewer restaurants than it once did.
The chain had more than 1,000 restaurants in 2015. When Long John Silver’s celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019, it said it had nearly 900 franchised U.S. locations.
Today, the total domestic footprint is below 500 restaurants.
Long John Silver’s Has Closed More Than 100 Locations in Recent Years
The 2025 closures are part of a longer contraction rather than an isolated development.
Long John Silver’s executives said in June 2026 that roughly 110 to 120 restaurants had closed during the previous three years.
That figure helps explain why customers in some areas may have noticed fewer Long John Silver’s restaurants nearby.
The decline has also contributed to growing online interest whenever another restaurant closes. For customers who remember the chain having a much larger presence, the difference can be especially noticeable.
However, Long John Silver’s says store count alone does not provide a complete picture of its current performance.
Long John Silver’s Reports 16 Consecutive Quarters of Comparable Sales Growth
One of the most significant counterpoints to the closure numbers is the company’s recent sales performance.
Long John Silver’s executives reported in June 2026 that the chain had achieved 16 consecutive quarters of comparable-store sales growth.
Comparable-store sales are an important restaurant-industry measurement because they track sales at established locations rather than simply measuring growth created by opening additional restaurants.
Long John Silver’s also said overall system sales increased from approximately $400 million at the end of 2022 to nearly $430 million at the end of 2025.
That creates an unusual picture: Long John Silver’s has been operating fewer restaurants while reporting higher sales across the overall system compared with several years earlier.
The figures do not mean every individual restaurant is performing well. They do, however, provide additional context for evaluating reports about Long John Silver’s Store Closures.
Long John Silver’s Is Still Opening New Restaurants
Long John Silver’s did not stop expanding entirely while other locations were closing.
Ten new restaurants opened during 2025.
Five were opened by franchisees, including locations in Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. Long John Silver’s also opened five company-owned restaurants during the year.
The company has also discussed a broader development pipeline.
Executives said in June that approximately 40 new locations had either been built or entered development since the current ownership group took control in 2022. Around 25 restaurants were described as being in development.
Opening schedules can change, so those development figures should not be treated as confirmation that every planned restaurant will open on a particular date.
Still, the development activity provides further evidence that Long John Silver’s has not announced an exit from the U.S. restaurant business.
Restaurant Remodels Are Another Major Part of the Strategy
Long John Silver’s is also investing heavily in existing restaurants.
The company says more than 115 locations have been remodeled, while approximately 100 additional restaurants are expected to receive upgrades over the next two years.
The remodeling program is designed around Long John Silver’s newer restaurant identity and is intended to modernize stores that may have operated with older designs for many years.
This is also why customers should be careful when interpreting a temporarily closed restaurant.
Some locations may temporarily stop operating because of renovation or remodeling work. A temporary shutdown does not necessarily indicate that the restaurant has permanently closed.
Checking the chain’s current restaurant locator or contacting a location directly remains the most reliable way for customers to determine whether a particular restaurant is operating.
Long John Silver’s Has Also Been Buying Franchise Restaurants
Another less visible change is taking place in the ownership structure of individual restaurants.
Long John Silver’s has acquired nearly 40 locations from franchisees since 2023.
Such transactions can shift restaurants between franchise ownership and direct corporate operation without removing the locations from the Long John Silver’s system.
The company continues to operate a mixed network consisting of corporate restaurants and independently owned franchise locations.
Long John Silver’s also continues to promote franchise opportunities and provides development support covering site selection, restaurant design, architecture and construction.
That ongoing franchise activity would be inconsistent with the idea that the company has announced plans to abandon its restaurant network.
Minnesota Franchisee Filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
A separate 2026 development has also contributed to concern about Long John Silver’s.
Uplifted Foods LLC, a Long John Silver’s franchisee in Minnesota, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation on May 29, 2026.
The filing followed the April 30 closure of its Long John Silver’s restaurant at the Mall of America.
Reports on the bankruptcy said Uplifted Foods listed assets of up to $100,000 and liabilities ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.
However, the bankruptcy involved an individual franchise operator, not Long John Silver’s as a national company.
That difference is essential.
There is no verified announcement as of July 30, 2026, that Long John Silver’s itself has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy or is preparing to liquidate its entire restaurant system.
Why Long John Silver’s Locations Are Closing
There does not appear to be one single reason behind every Long John Silver’s closure.
Company representatives have pointed to individual circumstances such as lease expirations, relocations, changing trade areas and normal portfolio decisions.
Restaurant economics can also vary substantially from market to market. A location’s performance may be affected by rent, customer traffic, competition, labor costs, operating expenses and local demand.
Long John Silver’s has specifically pushed back against portraying all recent closures as one coordinated nationwide downsizing initiative.
Instead, its current strategy appears to involve evaluating individual restaurants while simultaneously remodeling successful locations and developing new ones.
Long John Silver’s Footprint Is Smaller, but the Brand Remains Active
The long-term reduction in locations cannot be ignored.
Long John Silver’s has gone from more than 1,000 U.S. restaurants in 2015 to fewer than 500 today. Around 30 locations closed during 2025 alone, and executives have acknowledged approximately 110 to 120 closures over the previous three years.
At the same time, several other indicators point in a different direction.
The company has reported 16 consecutive quarters of comparable-store sales growth, opened 10 restaurants during 2025, remodeled more than 115 locations and plans to renovate approximately 100 more.
New locations are also in development.
This means Long John Silver’s is becoming a smaller restaurant chain while attempting to strengthen and modernize the locations that remain.
Latest Long John Silver’s Store Closures Update for July 2026
As of July 30, 2026, the latest verified information does not show a newly announced nationwide round of Long John Silver’s Store Closures that would eliminate the chain.
Instead, the major development generating headlines this month is newly publicized franchise disclosure data showing the extent of closures that occurred during 2025.
Those figures confirm approximately 30 closures across 18 states and a decline from 502 U.S. locations at the end of 2024 to 479 at the end of 2025.
The company has not disclosed how many restaurants may ultimately close during 2026.
For that reason, reports claiming a specific nationwide 2026 closure total should be treated cautiously unless Long John Silver’s or verified franchise documentation confirms the number.
The latest evidence supports a more nuanced conclusion: the chain’s restaurant count has been declining, but Long John Silver’s remains operational and continues investing in openings, renovations and restaurant development.
Final Thoughts
Long John Silver’s Store Closures are part of a significant long-term reduction in the seafood chain’s U.S. footprint. The approximately 30 restaurants that closed during 2025 brought the chain down to 479 locations at year-end, far below the more than 1,000 restaurants it operated in 2015.
However, there is currently no official confirmation that Long John Silver’s is going out of business or planning to close all of its restaurants. The company says recent closures resulted from individual market decisions rather than a nationwide shutdown strategy.
At the same time, Long John Silver’s is remodeling restaurants, developing new locations and reporting continued comparable-store sales growth. The chain is clearly smaller than it once was, but the latest verified information indicates that management is attempting to reshape and modernize the business rather than wind it down.
Have you seen a Long John Silver’s close, reopen or get remodeled near you? Share what is happening in your area and stay updated as new closure and opening information emerges.