5 Restaurant Chains That Closed South Carolina Locations in 2026
You’ve got a go-to spot. Losing it stings.
For one family, that spot was the On The Border on Beacon Drive in Greenville, and they told Fox Carolina they’d been eating there since 1999.
These are the restaurant chains that have closed South Carolina locations in 2026.
1. Whataburger
Whataburger planned to close its Greenwood restaurant on Bypass 72 at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, a company spokesperson said.
It had opened on Sept. 11, 2025, less than a year earlier.
Whataburger described the closing as part of its routine business reviews.
If Greenwood was your drive-thru, you could head to the company’s restaurants in Anderson, Simpsonville and Mauldin instead.
In May, the company had already closed one of its five Greenville County restaurants, all built in the past two years.
That made two Upstate closures in recent months.
At the time, the company said it had no additional South Carolina closures to announce.
2. Quaker Steak & Lube
After 18 years, Quaker Steak & Lube closed its Greenville restaurant at 10 Chrome Drive, Fox Carolina reported Sept. 9, 2026.
You could find it off Garlington Road near the Interstate 385 and Interstate 85 interchange, where it opened in 2008.
The chain is known for its Atomic Scorpion hot wing challenge.
The restaurant thanked guests and staff for their support.
It also encouraged guests to visit its other locations.
If you’re curious what’s next for the building, the property was listed for sale or lease when the Post and Courier reported the closing.
3. On The Border
Friday, March 13, 2026, was the last day you could eat at On The Border’s restaurant at 74 Beacon Drive in Greenville.
One family told Fox Carolina they had been eating there since 1999.
A local TV station reported that the Beacon Drive restaurant was the chain’s only Upstate location.
If you wanted to know why, the restaurant said it was unable to give a reason at that time.
On The Border Beyond Greenville
On The Border, a Tex-Mex chain, announced on June 12, 2026, that it would close all of its company-owned restaurants by the end of that day.
The Greenville restaurant on Beacon Drive had already closed three months earlier.
As of June 12, franchised restaurants in California, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota and South Korea were to stay open and operate independently.
Texas-based Pappas Restaurants bought the chain after its 2025 bankruptcy filing.
4. Pizza Hut
Notices posted on the front door of Pizza Hut’s restaurant at 6432 Two Notch Road in Columbia said it would close permanently on Feb. 16.
It closed in mid-February.
The restaurant was in the Arcadia Lakes Shopping Center, near Columbia Place Mall.
Yum Brands, Pizza Hut’s parent company, had announced in early February that it would close 250 underperforming Pizza Hut locations nationwide in the first half of 2026.
A Post and Courier roundup said the closing aligns with that plan.
The notices included a thank-you for customers’ loyalty and a list of nearby Pizza Hut locations you could use instead.
If you still want Pizza Hut in the Columbia area, the chain’s website listed around a dozen locations when the closing was first reported.
5. Wendy’s
Wendy’s said in mid-February 2026 that it planned to close at least 5% of its restaurants over the next few months.
When it made the announcement, Wendy’s hadn’t released a list of affected restaurants.
By Feb. 25, the Wendy’s on Pelham Road in Greenville County had closed, according to Fox Carolina.
A sign left on the door said the location was permanently closed.
If you’re wondering what comes next for the space, it was unknown at the time whether a new tenant would take over.
If Pelham Road was your Wendy’s, you’ll have to pick a different Wendy’s.
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Closings That Are Still Unclear
Slim Chickens apparently closed two Columbia-area restaurants in 2026, and the reports don't tell you exactly why.
The Post and Courier reported July 2 that the Slim Chickens at 2089 North Beltline Boulevard in Forest Acres had apparently closed.
The chain's website listed it as closed.
A week later, the chain briefly closed its Killian Road restaurant in northeast Columbia for updates on July 9.
The restaurant reopened under new management with a limited menu a few days later, its general manager said.
By Aug. 21, the Killian Road restaurant had closed and no longer appeared on the chain's online store locator.
The same report said it was unclear exactly why or when the two restaurants closed, or whether the closings were meant to be permanent.
As of that report, you were down to a single Slim Chickens in the Columbia area, at 7544 Garners Ferry Road.
Elsewhere in South Carolina, the chain's website listed restaurants in Florence, Fort Mill, Moncks Corner and Myrtle Beach as of July 2.
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