maybe if they stop supplying the franchise locations with butter injected USDA "select" grade meats it will free up the franchise locations to actually buy and sell real high quality meats!
This COULD be good for the franchises or it could just mean that there is such inconsistancy and few remaining will hit the axe soon too.

Its generally a sad thing when a business fails...especially in the case when hard-working dedicated employees lose their jobs.

That said, I won't miss either chain.

In my one man's opinion, the flame went out on Steak and Ale years ago. They were good back in the 70s. My last experience there was back in November and was about as dismal as it gets. I was on the road in California and only went because it was late and the place was next door to my hotel. Dirty, smelly, with bland, tepid food.

As for Bennigan's, I'm not not a Monte Cristo fan. So while I can empathise with those who were fans of those, I can't even say that for my taste the place ever was good in the first place. I know its fashionable to bash Friday's, Chili's, etc. But I actually LIKE those places....at least when they execute their concepts, and I go in without expecting a fabulous dining experience. Done correctly, these places can at least provide decent road food, reasonably priced, and a pleasant relaxing experience when travelling.

But Bennigan's always struck me as a mess. The "poor relation" of the genre (along with Ground Round). Greasy boring undercooked/overcooked/lukewarm food offered in poorly managed and maintained surroundings....frequently served by indifferent, if not surly, waitstaff. Of course, if your hot meal arrived lukewarm, there was always a chance that the cold beer you ordered might be served at exactly the same temperature as your entree.

I definitely won't miss this place... I've tried it 3 times and have had bad food each time. But like others, I feel bad for all of the people losing their jobs without notice. It's rough, especially with the economy in the shape it's in right now. Jobs aren't easy to come by, especially here in Michigan!

Benni-wha?

Never heard of this place.

i am going to miss this place. we always went there to go out to eat for birthdays. the food has only been bad once in my experience.

Welcome to FT, redimmunity & youmOnt. You have brought continued balance to the Bennigans equation.

I've eaten at both places before and thought they were okay. The food was good, the atmosphere average (although the Steak and Ales I've been to always seemed to be a bit on the dark and gloomy side) but there just wasn't much of anything that made those places stand out from the competition. I can't say I will miss them, although I hope the employees who are getting laid off can find other work soon.

Add me to those who will miss the Monte Cristo at Bennigans.

We haven't had a Steak & Ale for years, but I still miss them. Not the food, it was just OK. Our local S & A was filled with little nooks and crannies and every table seemed very private. Both lighting and music were subdued. I have a hard time finding restaurants nowadays where you can have a quiet conversation.

Guess it's true. I was at Sams Club in Batavia last night getting some tires and while I waited wanted to have a frosty malt beverage. Bennigans, within walking distance, was shuttered.

...just to mention another chain that I wouldn't mourn for too long.

If anoyne is SoFla is missing their grease try this:
http://www.flanigans.net/

Mealsof fried, fried, fried, fried, and stuffed........too much for me and I am a big guy but try not to eat too much fried or unhealthy this last year.

Bennigan's never made it to the west coast, so a lot of people out here don't know it.

Thereby hangs a Bennigan's tale, that I told once before in some long-lost thread, so if you read it before please bear with me:

My business partner, born, bred and always based in the Pacific Northwest, is an extremely picky and image-conscious restaurantgoer. She would rather starve than visit a casual-dining chain such as Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday, etc. When we are on the road together working, this can create a little friction as I am the kind of guy who will happily take a Subway sandwich back to my room... but often as not we end up at some fu-fu tablecloth place while she agonizes over a menu of fancy stuff.

A year or two ago we were in Duncanville, Texas south of Dallas conducting focus groups and we got finished around 930pm. We hadn't eaten all day and there is not much to eat in Duncanville after dinnertime. Nothing but fast food within golf-drive distance of our hotel, which was fine with me but not with her. She had me bring the car around while she went and quizzed the hotel's front desk people at great length about what might still be open... and after many minutes, finally satisfied, she bounced out to the car.

"There's this quaint, authentic Irish pub about eight miles from here. They have real pub food and they're holding it open for us. It sounds great! Here's the directions."

"What's the name of this place?" I asked wearily as I put the car in gear. We lurched into the humid Texas night, down unfamiliar roads.

"It's called... Bennigan's! Doesn't that sound like fun?"

She actually ended up liking it, though I recall she ordered a "choco-martini" that looked like effluvia from a wastewater treatment plant.

RIP Bennigan's.

There was one in San Jose, just off the Bayshore Freeway at the Great America exit. Typical of the mediocre food and indifferent service that apparently has now caught up with them.

Your Duncanville story is a classic BTW.

^

Actually there was also one in San Diego in Mission Valley, just off the I-8. Being from NJ I was well exposed to them and surprised to find one here. There was also one in Orange County that closed down a few years ago which is where they filmed the movie Waiting. (Which, if you haven't seen, you really should as it adds a whole new dimension to Bennigans).

The story, true classic, i fell out of my chair laughing. ^