NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The tantalizing sounds of sizzling fajitas will soon fade away at Norfolk’s MacArthur Center.
10 On Your Side has confirmed that the downtown mall’s venerable Chili’s location will close at the end of the month, after mall management said the chain decided not to renew its lease. Chili’s has been on MacArthur’s third floor for nearly two decades, almost as long as the mall’s been open.
The restaurant’s general manager, Amberlynn Johnson, says its last day will be Sunday, June 25.
“I knew this day would come, however we thought we had a little while longer,” Johnson wrote on Facebook. “… we would love to see friends, family [and past ChiliHeads] come out and support our last week open.”
The news comes just two weeks after Norfolk’s City Council voted 7-1 to allocate up to $18 million to buy the 915,000-square-foot property, after it was put up for sale earlier this year as part of foreclosure proceedings.
The mall has lost many tenants in recent years, including California Pizza Kitchen earlier this year, as malls nationwide have declined due to online shopping. At least one MacArthur tenant has also cited concerns about crime, after several shootings at the mall.
The closing of the MacArthur location means there’s only one Chili’s left in Norfolk, at the naval base. The four other Southside locations are at Chesapeake Square and Great Bridge in Chesapeake, and at Town Center and Red Mill Commons in Virginia Beach.
WAVY’s reached out to Chili’s for comment on the decision to not renew the lease. We’ll let you know what they say.