NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WGNS) - O'Charley's Restaurant & Bar shut down all remaining corporate locations across Tennessee and multiple states, marking the end of the regional chain's 55-year run. Employees across Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and other markets reported receiving sudden notices that their stores would cease operations immediately.

For Rutherford County residents, the final wave comes after local locations had already gone dark. Longtime Murfreesboro locations on Old Fort Parkway and Memorial Boulevard permanently closed prior to the recent corporate push, followed by the shuttering of the Expo Drive location in Smyrna.

Founded in 1971 by Charlie Watkins on 21st Avenue in Midtown Nashville, the chain expanded from a single restaurant into a Southern dining staple operating nearly 250 locations at its peak in the 2000s. However, broader casual dining challenges, shifting consumer habits, and falling foot traffic created years of financial strain.