Bonefish Grill has closed its restaurant at Birkdale Village in Huntersville, a seafood spot known for its Bang Bang Shrimp and oak-fire-grilled fish. The closure leaves roughly 50 workers able to transfer to nearby locations, and it marks the second restaurant shutdown at the shopping center this month.
Doors Shut, But Signage Tells Conflicting Stories
According to Charlotte Observer, Bonefish Grill shut the doors on its Huntersville restaurant at 8805 Townley Rd B after what the outlet described as a 14-year run. Oddly, the location was still listed as “temporarily closed” as of Tuesday, the same day the closure was reported, even though a recorded phone message for the restaurant stated plainly that the location is permanently closed. The exact length of the restaurant's tenure is also in dispute: while the Observer cited a 14-year run, Cornelius Today reported the location had been operating there since 2012.
Cornelius Today, citing a Birkdale spokesperson, reported that the closure came ahead of the restaurant's 2027 lease expiration as part of what the company called its broader portfolio strategy, according to Cornelius Today. A Bloomin' Brands spokesperson said the closure was a business decision and not a reflection of the restaurant's management or team members, the Observer reported.
Employees Can Transfer, Company Says
Approximately 50 employees from the Huntersville location can transfer to nearby restaurants, the company said, including Bonefish Grill's locations in Concord and Matthews. A Bloomin' Brands spokesperson said the chain is continuing to serve guests at its Concord or Matthews locations, per the same Observer account. It remains unclear how many of those roughly 50 employees will ultimately make that move.
The seafood-centric restaurant has built a following over the years for hand-cut fish cooked over an oak fire, along with customizable wood-grilled entrées and surf-and-turf options. Its signature Bang Bang Shrimp is a customer favorite, the Observer notes. Bloomin' Brands, Bonefish Grill's parent company, also owns Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill and Fleming's Steakhouse & Wine Bar.
Second Closure at Birkdale This Month
Bonefish Grill was the second restaurant to close at Birkdale Village this month. Foxcroft Food & Wine served its last meals at the shopping center on Oct. 10, ending a two-year run that began when it opened in the former Brixx Pizza space in June 2024, according to Cornelius Today. Foxcroft's broader struggles extended beyond Birkdale: its Raleigh location closed for good on Sept. 5, and its Greenville, South Carolina, location had shuttered a year earlier, the Observer reported.
A Birkdale Village spokesperson said the shopping center is actively exploring other dining concepts for the vacated Bonefish Grill space and that more information will be shared as plans develop. The turnover isn't limited to restaurants, either — Birkdale Village has changed ownership three times since 2024, according to WCNC.
Part Of A Wider Corporate Retrenchment
The Huntersville closure fits into a much larger pullback by Bonefish Grill's parent company. Bloomin' Brands announced a turnaround strategy in November 2025 that included closing dozens of locations nationwide, as reported by the Charlotte Business Journal. In its own announcement, the company said it had decided to close 21 U.S. restaurants and not renew the leases of 22 others during the 13 and 39 weeks ended Sept. 28, 2025, according to a release from Bloomin' Brands, which said it would reallocate available free cash flow into strategic investments in its base business while paying down debt.
The pressure on Bonefish Grill specifically has been building for a while. Same-store sales at the chain fell 5.8% for the quarter ended June 30, according to Nation's Restaurant News. That outlet also reported that Bloomin' Brands closed a Bonefish Grill location in Gainesville, Virginia, where 60 employees were offered the chance to transfer and receive transition bonuses, and that the company closed 41 underperforming locations in an earlier review in 2024.
