Johnny Rockets Closes in Aventura Mall

Johnny Rockets has closed its Aventura Mall location.

The '50s-themed burger and shake joint shuttered its doors last week, confirms the mall's business office.

The restaurant which featured burgers, fries, and shakes served by a happy wait staff that occasionally dropped everything to dance and sing to oldies tunes, also featured discounted tickets to its neighbor, AMC Aventura 24, for diners. 

The Aliso Viejo, California-based business, was founded in June 1986 by businessman Ronn Teitelbaum. The concept was fashioned after a real restaurant, the Apple Pan in West Los Angeles, as a recreation of vintage 1940s malt shops.

Although Johnny Rockets is still a thriving chain, boasting over 300 corporate and franchise-owned restaurants in 32 states, 27 countries, and on board a dozen Royal Caribbean cruise ships, with over 7,500 employees serving up about 17 million burgers a year, this is the second location to close in Miami recently.

In February 2014, Johnny Rockets in Coconut Grove closed, with the prime restaurant spot on the corner of Grand Avenue and McFarlane Road still vacant after over a year. A Lincoln Road location closed a few years back, although another South Beach restaurant, at 728 Ocean Dr., remains open.

The chain still has quite a few South Florida locations, including Shops at Sunset Place, Dadeland Mall, Dolphin Mall, Miami International Mall, and the Falls.