Sbarro, the Long Island-based Italian restaurant chain is closing 155 of its locations in North America as the company’s struggles to raise profits.
Sbarro has located many of its eateries in shopping malls where they must compete with retailers for a smaller slice of consumer budget.
The move is part of a broader plan to boost financial performance under a new management team, according to a statement yesterday. The closings affect underperforming company-owned stores and not franchise locations, Sbarro said.
Sbarro is trying to rebound after emerging from bankruptcy in 2011.
“The chain remains a vibrant and growing brand with more than 800 stores worldwide, including 81 that were opened in 2013,” the company said Wednesday in the statement.