Another chain bites the dust. The 99 Restaurant in Manchester’s Buckland Hills area is scheduled to close soon, confirms a representative on the restaurant’s official Facebook page.
Other local 99 outposts in Enfield, Vernon, Glastonbury, Avon, Bristol, Cromwell and Wallingford seem to be safe for now.
Chain restaurants in the Manchester mall area have been majorly hurting due to economic downturn. The local Uno Chicago Grill just closed (its parent company just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.) In the past two years, the town has also said goodbye to Macaroni Grill, Hops, TGI Friday’s, Vinny T’s and Blue Turtle.
If cookie-cutter chains are your thing, there’s no dearth of those places near the mall. Still standing: Red Robin, Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Carrabba’s, Chili’s, Outback, John Harvard’s, Bugaboo Creek, Ruby Tuesday’s, Applebee’s, Bertucci’s. Can you say oversaturation?
But if you’re looking for a casual, fun meal, there’s plenty of (much better) locally-owned restaurants. Try the truly original New Haven-style pizza at Frank Pepe’s, or order a creative pie at Randy’s Wooster Street or Mulberry Street. Bite into a pretzel burger and fries with three dipping sauces at Corey’s Catsup and Mustard, or top your patty with four slices of griddle-crisped cheese (with a side of fantastic homemade ice cream) at Shady Glen. Cosmic Omelet serves up wacky breakfast creations. At Guido’s Car Hop, waitresses deliver classic ’50s diner food on roller skates. There’s good pub grub at Main Pub and The Hungry Tiger.
And if you’re looking for upscale, Cavey’s is renowned for its modern French and northern Italian cuisine, along with a stellar wine selection.
To be honest, it’s kind of hard to mourn the demise of another chain location when Manchester has that much more to offer.
Enjoy some of Hartford’s tastiest cuisine at bargain prices this week, as the 
Leeanne Griffin is a freelance writer and food enthusiast.