Ted's Montana Grill closes restaurants in Midwest, N.C., around D.C.

Bowing to a rough economy that has taken a bite out of restaurant profits, Ted's Montana Grill closed nine restaurants this week in Midwest markets, Raleigh and around Washington, D.C. The Atlanta-based chain, which was started by CNN founder Ted Turner and restaurateur George McKerrow Jr. in 2002, closed locations in Omaha, the Chicago area, D.C., Sterling, Va., Raleigh, N.C. and Wichita, Kansas. Its three closures around Kansas City means that it is pulling out of that market. The company did not close locations in Atlanta.

The chain began in Columbus, Ohio, and grew to 55 restaurants in 19 states before the closures. It is now down to 46 units. Just two months ago, Ted's opened its newest restaurant, in historic downtown Boulder, Colo. The company's menu features steaks, meatloaf, crab cakes, trout, salmon and burgers. The company describes it as "made-from-scratch comfort food within an authentic turn-of-the-century Montana grill atmosphere."