Chili's Won't Confirm Whether It's Closing Burlington Location

BURLINGTON, MA -- Rumors are running rampant on social media forums that Chili's will be the next Burlington restaurant to close. But the company would neither confirm nor deny the rumors when contacted by Burlington Patch Tuesday.

"What I can tell you is that our lease is set to expire at the end of May and it has yet to be determined whether or not we will renew," a manager at the Burlington location, who gave his name as Rick, said.

There was also speculation that yard House was eyeing the Middlesex Turnpike location. A spokesperson for that restaurant chain was not immediately available for comment Tuesday morning.

If Chili's were to close, it would be just the latest in a string of Burlington restaurant openings and closings in the vicinity of the Burlington mall. Just in recent weeks:

• Uno Pizzeria and Grill closed its Burlington Mall location on Sunday. The restaurant had been in the mall for more than 30 years.
• Eddie V's, a small chain based in Austin, Texas, said earlier this month it will demolish the Macaroni Grille building that has been vacant since February and build a new restaurant on the lot.
• Black & Blue Steak and Crab said it will open its first Massachusetts location at The District.

As a chain, Chili's has struggled in recent quarters. Last year the company simplified its menu to focus on its most popular items, and it has been closing under-performing restaurants. locally, the most notable closing came last January, when the chain closed its Dedham restaurant.

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).