4 Bruegger's locations are closed in Twin Cities

Four Bruegger's Bagels locations in the Twin Cities have closed as part of a larger scale-down of the casual fast-food chain, the company said Wednesday.

Shuttered as of Sunday were Bruegger's at 1500 W. Lake St. in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood, 121 S. 8th St. in the downtown Minneapolis skyway, 4953 Penn Av. S. in Minneapolis and at 437 Commerce Dr. in Woodbury.

A statement from Bruegger's parent company, Colorado-based Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, said the decision to close those four and 26 others located largely in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Washington, D.C., "was based on financial performance."

There are 38 Bruegger's that remain open in Minnesota, nearly all of them in the Twin Cities, out of more than 240 nationwide.

The statement added that Einstein Noah "will be taking steps to ease the impact" of the closures and try to transfer managers and other Bruegger's staff to positions with its other associated brands: Einstein Bros. Bagels, Brooklyn Center-based Caribou Coffee and Coffee & Bagels retail stores that blend Caribou and Einstein menu items.

Bruegger's came under the Einstein Noah umbrella when Caribou announced in August that it was buying the bagel chain.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482