As Lubbock's business scene continues to change in 2024, readers are asking questions like: “Will the Hub City see more store closures than usual?”
Here are the business trends for the six months leading up to 2024 and how they compare to 2023. This only includes Lubbock businesses and does not count businesses that have relocated from one location to another.
more:Lubbock business trends and insights for 2023
Which businesses closed in Lubbock in 2024?
By the end of June, 18 businesses had closed in Lubbock, only five of which were not restaurants or food trucks.
Non-restaurant closures and the reasons for them include:
- Rue 21, 6076 Marsha Sharp Freeway West #300. The clothing retailer is filing for bankruptcy.
- Shearer's Foods, 3203 Ave. B, closed on March 31. Company officials said the facility had been in business since 2007 but closed due to “declining demand.”
- No reasons were given for the February closures of Soft Surroundings (8201 Quaker Ave., Unit 116) and Embellish Decor (5217 82nd #121).
- Catching Whimsy (3407 98th St. Suite 400) closed in early January, with the owners saying they were focusing on their two other businesses, Website Runners and Texas Regional Notary.
The closure of Shearer's Foods sent shock waves through the local community, resulting in the loss of 176 jobs. The closure was announced two days after private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice bought Shearer's.
more:Shearer's Foods announces it will close its Lubbock facility due to declining demand
The remaining 13 were restaurant or food truck closures. Here's a breakdown of the closures by month and the reasons why:
January: Whip'd Pies (4406 114th St., Suite 200) announced at the time that it was looking for a new location. As of July 11, no new location had been announced. Hub City Burger Bar (3711 19th St.) closed suddenly and without explanation after only five months in business.
“These West Texas winds are blowing us in a different direction and we are at the end of a great era,” said Tom & Bingo's Barbecue, 3006 34th St. The closing of the third-generation restaurant, which opened in 1952, on Jan. 20 came as a shock to Lubbock barbecue fans. This likely won't be the only loss in the area's barbecue world this year.
more:Tom & Bingo's, a third-generation Lubbock barbecue restaurant, is closing this weekend.
February: Senor Chubby's Mexican Bar & Grill (3410 98th St., Suite 1112) announced it would close on Feb. 20, 48 hours before its final closing. The owners said they were exploring new opportunities. The location is currently an Italian restaurant.
March: La Bella Pizza (2112 50th St.) closed without explanation, but the closure of Rave On (1300 Mac Davis Lane) inside Buddy Holly Hall caused uproar in March.
United's food and beverage division operated restaurants and concessions at Buddy Holly Hall, but that partnership ended in March, with the airline wanting to focus on its core retail business and expansion plans, according to a statement from the Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association.
more:New food and beverage vendor announces plans for Lubbock's Buddy Holly Hall, Rave On
That same month, United also closed its last salad bar at its Market Street location.
more:Lubbock Market Street location is eliminating salad bar, company explains why
April: Roll'n Bros Food Truck sold the business to new owners and rebranded as Rudy's Scratch Kitchen. This month also saw the closure of the iconic Hill BBQ (3017 34th St.). Hill BBQ's closure came after months of urging customers on social media to visit.
more:Lubbock barbecue restaurant announces closure after six years in business
May: Evie Mae's BBQ at the corner of 114th Street and Slide Road in United. This marked the third United-related closure in 2024. United then opened SMōK'D Pit Barbecue, which offers its own version of barbecue.
more:Evie Mae's Barbecue to leave South Lubbock United Supermarket in May
June: Broadway Fish & More (1702 E. Broadway) closed to pursue its owner's dreams in the food truck industry. Burklee Hill Vineyards (1109 Broadway) also closed after six years in business. Chop Chop, located at the corner of 82nd Street and Indiana Avenue, closed as the restaurant focused on its two other locations.
The Hooters, 4950 S. Loop 289, closed June 23. The company decided to close 40 underperforming locations, according to a company statement.
more:Lubbock Hooters is one of 40 locations abruptly closed by company
The statistic doesn't include figures for July, but four businesses have already closed during the month: The Fresh American, Joe's Crab Shack, Lubbock Escapes and Urban Vibez Nutrition.
Will more businesses open or close in 2024 than in 2023?
Comparing the closure rate for all of 2023 to the first six months of 2024, Lubbock is just under half at 42%. As with last year, the area saw some popular stores close early on, which likely sparked the question.
more:43 Lubbock businesses closed in 2023. Here's a look at what closed and why.
In a similar comparison, availability also increased slightly to 52%. In 2023, the most available rooms were in August and December, so if this trend continues, that lead could increase by the end of the summer.
more:Here are 111 Lubbock businesses opening in 2023
What types of businesses will open and close in Lubbock so far in 2024?
Not surprisingly, food and beverage businesses accounted for the majority of openings and closures. Overall, restaurants accounted for 83% of closures and 47% of openings. Closings are up from 63% last year, while openings are roughly the same as in 2023.
So far this year, three well-known barbecue restaurants have closed, as well as two fine dining restaurants, Rave On and Burklee Hill.
A total of 27 restaurants will open, including five food trucks, four sandwich shops, three Mexican restaurants, three American restaurants, three drink shops, two barbecue shops, two Asian restaurants, one Persian restaurant, one Italian restaurant, one Japanese restaurant, one Mediterranean restaurant and one Australian restaurant.
The report breaks down the number of non-food business openings into the following categories: healthcare (including hospitals and spas), retail (including clothing, pet supplies, etc.), services (including banking, child care, real estate, salons, etc.), and entertainment. Retail had the most openings with 14, followed by services with nine, and healthcare and entertainment were tied at four each.
