Oh Fudd, What in the world happened to Fuddruckers?

Things are looking down for Fuddruckers in Houston right now. Three locations are temporarily closed, and one looks like it may not return. In our last Fuddsdate, we covered two Fuddruckers locations’ first “temporary” closure. Unfortunately, a third location, the former Fuddruckers adjacent to Luby’s on S. MacGregor, has recently closed its doors, at least temporarily. The Fuddruckers near Greenway Plaza, which has been closed since June, has had its doors and windows boarded up. Large signs have also been placed on both sides of the property, advertising it as “available.” The online listing mentions that a ground lease for two pad sites is being offered. The current tenant section is also blank, although this could simply be a mistake. The 290 location is reportedly still intact, albeit with plywood covering the door due to a broken pane of glass. At this point, it’s unclear what exactly the future holds for Fuddruckers, but in the meantime, a few locations in Houston are up to their original standards. The Fuddruckers in Memorial and Webster seem to be doing quite well compared to the rest of the bunch. The Memorial/Town & Country location has been franchised by Pappas since just before the breakup. On the other hand, the Webster location initially appeared to be under the control of Fuddruckers’ new owners but has since significantly rebounded in quality. While it’s unclear, my theory is the location was possibly picked up by the new owner of Luby’s, as the brands still crossover in many folk’s minds, and having a dead Fudds attached to a Luby’s wouldn’t end well.

So what exactly is going on with Fudd’s? Well, while we still don’t have a clear answer, we are getting a clearer picture as time goes by. The problems seem to be related to money. As mentioned earlier this year, Fuddruckers first began exhibiting signs of struggling. While I won’t review all of them here, the most significant issue was simply the food quality, and service was dropping steeply. Some of the service issues can be traced to cut numbers of staff and a lack of proper supplies (e.g., paper towels that don’t fit in the dispenser). These issues boiled over, with fewer customers and later a lack of essential items (e.g., Fountain Sodas, Shakes, Fresh Buns, and even Potato Wedges). Unfortunately, this came during the summertime, when business seemed to be picking up again. While Fudd’s does seem to be righting itself in terms of product quality, and availability, there’s still much left to be desired. Specifically, transparency would be excellent. If the stores are to remain closed, then theoretically, they should be marked that way. If products are out, customers should be informed early on. If the stores close at odd hours, it should be reflected online, and if credit cards aren’t accepted, then it should be noted before you enter. All of these problems I speak of, I have not only encountered visiting Fudds in town but also have read occurring at corporate-owned locations in other states. Hopefully, my favorite DIY burger joint call pull through, but for now Town & Country is officially the closest location to me, so I’ll end up there anyways!