Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in Macon closes suddenly. Here’s what we know

The huge Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen sign was taken down by a crane and hauled away on a flatbed trailer Tuesday, just days after customers arriving to the Macon restaurant learned it was closing.

A stand-up sign first placed outside the restaurant at 4040 Riverside Drive reads, “Beginning Saturday, May 29, 2021, this location is permanently closed ... We apologize for any inconvenience.”

The sign directs customers to the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen location in Warner Robins at 2915 Watson Blvd.

“We appreciate your business and hope to see you soon.”

When asked why the restaurant closed, a spokeswoman offered this reply in an email:

“Closing this restaurant was a difficult business decision, and it’s one we made very carefully and thoughtfully, because it impacts our team members and our guests,” said Emily Clark, media & communications manager for Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen. “We continually evaluate the performance of all of our restaurants, and this decision was made as part of that process.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused our guests and thank them for dining with us. We also value the contributions of our team members and we have offered them the opportunity to transfer to our location in Warner Robins, or one of our sister concepts such as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.”

Based in Irving, Texas, the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen restaurant chain is under Darden Restaurants, which also owns several other restaurant brands, including Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.