Joe's Crab Shack
It may sound like a restaurant out of a cartoon, but Joe's Crab Shack is anything but cutesy. The beach-themed seafood restaurant suddenly shut down 41 of its 112 locations after its parent company, Ignite Restaurant Group, filed for bankruptcy. However, the franchise neglected to inform its employees, who arrived to work only to find the doors locked along with a sign claiming their services were no longer needed.
Qdoba
Fast-food burrito joints like Chipotle, Moe's, and Baja Fresh have cropped up over the years, but few have managed to survive the competition. Qdoba was forced to axe 67 locations in 2013 but has since somewhat recovered. The company also rebranded from "Qdoba Mexican Grill" to "Qdoba Mexican Eats", which might have helped to boost sales.