Gone Fishing, Long John Silver’s Has Closed Forever

I just couldn’t resist the pun in the headline, but you read that correctly, Long John Silver’s (LJS) has officially closed its doors — again, and apparently this time forever. If you were a fan, be prepare to hit the road when you get a craving. The sign posted in front of their store reads:

Thank You Madera
We regret that this restaurant is closed permanently. Despite significant investment to reopen, it was not [meant] to be! Please visit us in Fresno, Clovis, or Merced.

I am not sure when it first opened its doors, but as far as I can remember it has been there for years, possibly decades. As you can see from the sign posted in front of their building, it had closed not too long ago. I’m not sure why they initially closed, but then it was re-opened before being closed a few weeks ago.

I always felt that it was located in a semi-awkward location. It definitely had good visibility, so it had that going for it. However, being positioned near a highly-trafficked and awkward three-way intersection just felt out of place. I wonder if that deterred some people from making a stop there. It just looks like it must have been a real hassle to get out of their parking lot during rush hour. If I can recall correctly, it ended in that awkward location because decades ago, probably in late 1990’s or early 2000’s, the intersection was redesign by the city to the way it is now. Cleveland Avenue used to go straight over the train tracks, but now it curves onto Country Club Drive.

I wish I could tell you the exact reason as to why they closed, but all I can do is speculate. My guess is that they just didn’t have that big of a market in Madera to survive anymore. Seafood just seems to have a very specialized market compared to other meats such as chicken or beef. Personally, I love seafood, yet when I saw LJS commercials or ads on tv or print, it never appealed to me! In fact, I don’t recall ever setting foot in there. I always wondered how long could they stay afloat… no longer will I have to wonder that. Long live the Long John’s Silver!