You may have noticed that 2025 has been chock-full of news about bankruptcies and store closures, some affecting chains that many can’t believe are gone.
While it’s easy to blame these events on President Donald’s Trump’s tariffs, as they’ve been the big topic of the economy ever since they were announced in April, that’s not the case for the most part, as many of the folded businesses have been under duress for some time.
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CVS is one of the affected businesses, reducing its footprint with as many as 270 underperforming locations scheduled to close this year.
Related: Major drugstore chain closing 270 stores despite new store plans
The pharmacy chain’s plan is to replace these locations with smaller ones that are about 5,000 square feet or less — but only a dozen are planned, which means many areas will simply lose access to their local CVS.
Another anchor retailer to wink out of existence this year was Joann, a legacy shop for crafters that had been around since 1943.
But after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy once in 2024 and then a second time in January 2025, Joann was forced to close all its retail locations. While the Joann stores are gone as we knew them, they will take on a new life within Michaels, which acquired the Joann IP and brands as of June 5, 2025.
Now another customer favorite business is shutting its doors, but unlike CVS and Joann, it did so without warning, not even telling employees what was happening.
Image source: Shutterstock
Employees were blindsided by restaurant closure
Taco Mac, an Atlanta-based sports bar chain that started in 1979 and has been a local favorite for decades, recently closed its Peachtree Street location in Midtown.
There’s nothing particularly unusual about a restaurant chain closing a location — except this one failed to let its employees know they didn’t have jobs anymore.
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Employee Brandon Jovan Stephens told Fox5 in an interview that he learned about his work closing on social media and went to the restaurant to find a letter on the door that said it was permanently closed.
“I worked over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday,” Stephens said. “Nobody told us anything.”
Related: Major retailer scores huge benefit from Joann bankruptcy
Just a few weeks ago, Taco Mac shut down its original location in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood. This one was formally announced by the company, which said the closure was an evolution of a long-term strategy.
The statement also said team members impacted by the closure had been offered positions at a nearby Taco Mac restaurant.
In 2023, the Taco Mac location on West Ponce de Leon in Decatur also closed after 22 years in business.
The letter posted at the Midtown locations addressed the chain’s loyal customers, saying, “Serving this community has been an incredible honor. We’ve cherished every moment – from cheering on our local sports teams together to celebrating your special milestones. These memories will always be a meaningful part of our journey.”
The chain operated 28 locations across three states prior to these closures.
TheStreet has reached out to Taco Mac to learn more.
Loyal fans weigh in on the business closing
In the Atlanta subreddit, previous Taco Mac patrons talked about what may have brought the chain down after such a successful run.
“If anyone has eaten there in the last 10 years they understand why. Private equity killed a great restaurant brand,” said Reddit user rco8786.
“In my early 20s I was a regular. My name’s on a plaque in the Midtown location. I stocked my kitchen with glasses exclusively from their Thursday glass giveaways. Watched untold numbers of Georgia Tech and Braves games. Made friends with servers (that I am still friends with today!). Sad to see how bad it got.”
User swiftfoot_hiker echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “Taco Mac was great [when] it was a small chain, but once they expanded and was sold to the PE firm, things really went downhill. The original owners had a good thing.”
Related: Popular Mexican chain closing all restaurants, no bankruptcy