NEW JERSEY – Like most restaurants around the country, Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grill has had a difficult year and those in the state have been hit.
Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, 13 Charlie Brown’s Fresh Grills have closed in New Jersey this year. There is only one restaurant that remains open in the state as part of the chain.
At one time the Charlie Brown’s steakhouse chain had dozens of restaurants around the state and east coast. It now is down to one location which is based in Union County.
Charlie Brown’s began the year with 14 restaurants in in the Garden State. Following the closure of the Lakewood Charlie Brown’s location the last one left is at 2376 North Ave. in Scotch Plains.
It was reported that the coronavirus health crisis was the key reason that the restaurants had closed. New Jersey was shut down longer than any other state in the country and reopened at only 25% of capacity with indoor dining delayed from what was expected in the summer.
A spokesman for the firm said that percentage for indoor dining was insufficient “as we lost outdoor dining with winter. So, many people think that full-service restaurants can make it on take-out and third-party, but that is not the case.”
According to its company website, along with Scotch Plans, there were locations in Forked River, Toms River, Washington Township, Oradell, Wayne, Westampton and Woodbury. There was also one in New York.
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse’s first location was in Westfield. It opened in 1966. The chain offered a salad bar, a variety of steaks but previously faced bankruptcy in 2010 when chain had 49 locations.
