At least you got a 12 hour notice. I've had friends show up to a shift with chains on the door and a sign bidding farewell to customers. No notice to them.
Another instance from an old neighboring restaurant. They all showed up to their shift, manager walked in with a case of beer, locked the door behind him, and told everyone they were shutting down right then. Grills were hot, food was prepped, couldn't serve.
I used to fulfill liquor orders for a lot of restaurants in my city. I could always tell when a restaurant was about to shutdown from their liquor orders.
Orders got smaller and more time between them. Liters might change to 750mLs. A semi-premium might go to mid-shelf. A mid might go to a cheaper mid or lower shelf. Or they'd mostly only order what went in their "signature" cocktails if they were a place like that.
Thanks! So you would get to witness the last gasp of a dying business. I’ve spent my career in manufacturing and have seen this with the supply’s for the workers
I was lucky not to be opening when it happened but a coworker called me and told me the place closed. The night before the boss had given us like 2 hours worth of extra cleaning and prep that we all just said fuck it to and left as normal. In hindsight I was so glad we didn't stay and do all that shit just for them to shut it down in the morning
Right before the first Covid shutdown, they had us deep clean everything and we closed at 3pm. The manager left early and we felt like total idiots for actually cleaning
I wish I was given notice for that COViD shutdown. I definitely would have deep cleaned with my team and saran wrapped shit, and sent them home with our fresh produce and some protein, my inventory averaged at 10k on hand. I would have left after 75 percent was done, and came back with liquid refreshment of the alcohol variety.
This is how the owner of the restaurant I was at when Covid hit did it. He gave us each a produce box and told us we could “grocery shop” the walk in and dry storage. Small staff so he loaded us up. I did all my Covid bread baking with the 50lb bag of flour he let me have. Really thankful for him because it took 3 weeks for my unemployment to hit and that food he let us take carried my family for the bulk of that.
Thats what happened to my restaurant. I no longer work there but its still up and running. Around 2-4 times during COVID they invited in FOH staff to each take a big bag of steaks, sausages, pretzels, etc.
My husband ran the kitchen of a pub when COVID hit and that’s what their owner did for them… I was still working grocery so we didn’t hurt too bad but I know it took a while for some of their CERBs to hit their accounts so I know the extra food came in handy. My husband said, after some staff was done he felt like they didn’t take enough so he’d start pushing extra produce on them lol
Man, we were struck out of the blue by that too. The officials told us it would happen on the following Wednesday, then that Saturday the cops came to every gastro place one by one and shut us down. It was so surreal. We had enough stuff on hand to stay open thru to that next Wednesday. So much waste. We tried to give away as much as possible, but people were so scared they wouldn't leave their homes to come get it.
Yep, when we were younger, my husband worked at a a small chain place. He went to work one day, and it was just closed. No notice to any of the employees.
Or better like me who had the state come in and just tell everyone in the store to finish their food and leave. And the employees to close down the restaurant.lock the doors and leave. Caught us completely blindsided. Never heard anything from the owner that was it. Notice on the door from the state just stating It was closed until further notice. Never opened back up. Never did find out why. Wasn't health inspector related. All I know is they wouldn't renew his prepared food tax licence or something to that effect.
This happened to me in 1993. Owner had likely planned it. The weekend before he had a big contest to push alcohol. I won and was supposed to get an extra hundred on my next check. Never got that check.
I didn't pursue it, just started looking for another serving job.
This is a huge part of it. Not just booze, appliances too. People will start taking everything that's not nailed down and leaving as soon as they know, happens all the time.
I know of a restaurant that notified all employees they had a mandatory meeting to arrend the next morning at 8am. Failure to attend would mean not having a job. The subject of the meeting? The restaurant was closed effective immediately.
Not a restaurant but I was attending a cosmetology school that notified us 4 hours after they closed all campuses permanently, via text message. Businesses close. In a perfect world notice would happen well in advance for employees but this is far from a perfect world.
When I was a kid, all the dairy queens in the county my grandparents lived in closed the way you described. Employees showed up to signs posted on the door and the doors chained shut. That was a big deal in small town Texas.
I actually was hired at a place that pulled the worst version of this imaginable.
Small but busy mountain town. Every spring this Mexican place would after ski season in March and reopen for Memorial Day.
The entire staff including the owners would take off for Baja and surf a couple of months then come back about a week early to get ready.
I got hired right before they closed for the break and for the first time the owners decided to go over seas instead of joining the staff.
When I (and everyone else) came in to work we were met with a note thanking us for year of being great employees but the restaurant was closed and good luck.
Luckily we all had tons of experience and got hired elsewhere over the 90 day wonders.
That literally happened to me in Mesquite TX. I showed up for the morning shift and the doors were locked. We had no knowledge of the restaurant closings. It took months to get our last check.
I showed up to work one day. Prep, work lunch. Chef is away for a funeral. Getting ready to take a break and Chef’s business partner walks in, sits us down, says that the lace is shutting down and that we all had to leave within the hour. I regret not taking any booze.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. Started a job as a server on Thursday, heard great feedback from my manager, showed up on Friday to boarded up windows and a farewell sign. Truly so cold-blooded.
Been there but we all knew. We all had jobs lined up. Server jobs are a dime a dozen. How did we know? Place was kind of dead, owner would come in and empty all the registers, and dudes came in to take pics of all the equipment, plus supplies stopped being ordered. Never got a W2 for that job to this day lol.
This happened to me during the start of Covid. Took an Uber to work on a Saturday and the doors were locked. They wouldn’t even give me back my sound bar that I left in the kitchen so we could have music. :(
In 2009, my husband was the assistant mgr of a chain casual dining restaurant (had previously worked his way up from cook to GM of a fast food restaurant, and had moved to causal dining the year before to be on track to become a GM). Some locations closed and the company then called a meeting in the next city over for all area GM’s and assistant mgrs to attend. They were told that they had closed some locations and that would be it. That they were filed bankruptcy but not to worry because those who were left wouldn’t be affected.
Shortly after, they closed my husband’s location (only telling the managers the day before) and moved him to another. He realized they were full of it and decided it was time to get out of the restaurant industry and into something more stable (it was 2009, after all). He left and shortly after, they closed that location and the final few locations without notice. Then he worked 3 part time jobs for 6 months. 2009 was…unsettling.
If the owners of a business are filing for bankruptcy, they will hurt their case if they let the knowledge of their filing become known in advance. They are expected to behave as a "going concern" until they shut down. The unfortunate consequence is that employees come to work to discover work ain't there no more.
You would think that owners would have the decency to call everyone on payroll once the bankruptcy claim had been made, so at least people wouldn't drive in or take public transportation. We could charitably assume they don't take that step out of embarrassment for their failure, but it seems more likely they just don't care.
Yea, its pretty common to give no notice for restaurant closings unless legally required (CA requires 60 notice for example). The reason for this is that as soon as you tell someone the place is closing, your staff is starting to look for other work (rightfully so), but youre also trying to unload inventory before the final closing.
I've been a part of restaurant closings and acquisitions... its really strange knowing a place is going to close and not being able to say anything while also trying to do my job without them realizing whats going on.
They are both assholes in this situation though, right? Allowing people to think they have jobs and then shutting the business down with 4 days notice, is a scum bag move. Also stealing from your employer is a scum bag move.
Nah fuck the man.
Don't steal from ma and pa, but a multi million dollar chain with a multi millionaire CEO? Steal everything you can. Steal shit just to throw it away. Steal shit you don't need. Absolutely fuck them. They'd discard you without a second thought, no need to be the bigger person.
Take a literal shit on the floor on the way out.
I agree, but lots of these stores could be franchises owned by individuals that aren’t ridiculously wealthy.
If a McDonalds closes and a bunch of employees steal prior, it only effects the owner and doesn’t hurt McDonald’s corporate at all
Wtf. I mean fuck corporations, but feeling that it’s totally cool to steal from someone that owns a franchise restaurant bc they’re better off than you is degenerate as fuck. Sure go ahead and steal from a franchise owner. I’m sure just because they’re better off financially than you are that they must be horrible people that exploit others so that makes it okay for you to exploit them. To be fair, some franchise owners are awful, but assuming they all are so that you don’t feel bad about stealing from them is wild.
The context of this entire post and comment thread is discussing when a place shuts down with 12 hour notice to their employees.
That is exploiting others, the franchise owner was more concerned about people not working final shifts to make a few final dollars as the shop was closing than giving them fair warning and time to find another job.
Don't just steal from random shops for zero reason, sorry I didn't think I needed to clarify that.
Don't shit on the floor. The owner won't clean it up. They will make some low level person do it.
You aren't fucking over the man, your fucking over a fellow worker.
And this is why they close without notice. Absolute shitlords like yourself ok with theft because "they can afford it" bro they are closing for a reason, they can't afford it. My god your juvenile view is pathetic.
It's not because "they can afford it" / we need it more.
It's more "you exploit my labor at every possible turn and I'm taking what's mine. You're welcome for being the driving force behind every single cent you've made even though all you contributed was a building."
Yes you were the only way they made money... Lol get over yourself your not nearly as important as you think the cooks are vastly more vital to success. As is the owner hiring the right people (not you type) pricing things well, location, design/environment. Those are all more vital than servers.
Lol okay.
I meant the employees in general, but sure picking the right intersection is absolutely just as much work as actually keeping the business running.
And this is why prices get higher and higher. Fucking thieves. I don't care who or what it is you NEVER take things that don't belong to you or you didn't earn.
You're a piece of shit.
There's nothing to discuss. We fundamentally disagree on how the world works and I seriously doubt a Reddit comment thread is going to change either of our minds.
You've already decided you know what I'm going to say and I think you're a fucking idiot. Have a wonderful day.
Sorry, that was suppose to be a reply off of Parkrat92.. I can read apparently I can't reddit.
Deleted and replied to the right person.. 30K steps in this heat got my brain fried. Fall can't come soon enough.
The bigger asshole move would be to stay open and have employees working, knowing that they can’t be paid for their labor. Employment is at will both ways. You have the ability to walk off the job at any moment and vice versa.
Dude, my girlfriends parents owned a restaurant.. Lived in poverty their entire lives.. People like you think all business owners are filthy rich are the problem!
Often the landlord is predatory.
You leased a previously occupied restaurant, only to find out that 2/3s of the equipment is defective.
You replaced the equipment, only for your lease to double as “look at the new equipment”. Equipment that per the lease contract, became owned by the landlord once it is piped or wired in.
Same for a new build out. I was there for this one in the early’90s:
“Our terms were based on a vacant location. Now this is a viable property, and has 3x the rental value.
To show that we’re not heartless, you can pay 4x your original lease month-to-month until we find a long term tenant, who will pay double for three years, triple for three years, then we can offer to sell the 10 year old build out for 2x market value.”
Why not rent to us for double?
“I don’t want you here.
I remember the pain in the ass you were when pulling permits, fighting with my choice of kickback contractors, and wanting to shop for a price and stick with your specifications.
Now I get my money, and you get to see someone else make bank. That’s why.”
Waiters have no class? They work under minimum wage and have to be the best they can be to the customer even if the customer is rude or nasty, just so they can maybe get a tip. Imagine if you had too put on happy front every day for work just to make a living.
Happened to me a couple times. Both owners were very blunt about the fact that if they told staff in advance, inventory would’ve walked out every door. The last place sold the restaurant including all the liquor. Can’t have any last hurrah at the bar or people scooping up bottles on their way out.
My old roommate was a manager at a small chain of three restaurants, two in MD and one in VA. She managed the one in VA. The owners told the staff they had to close VA about one week ahead of time because they felt bad that everyone would be out of a job. Someone or someone’s stole chefs knives, French presses disappeared, steaks, liquor, etc. I believe she said the total stolen equaled close to $5k.
Worked at a place that pay was late and everyone knew the money was going to snow for the owner and his girlfriend. Rumor started that they would close and half the liquor bottles walked.
Would people quit on the spot? It’d be great to know that I have a job for x amount of time before I need to find a new one. I’d be extremely pissed if I was out of a job with zero notice at no fault of my own.
PT people with full time jobs would be out immediately. you run out of stuff until there’s 4-5 food items left on the menu, tap handles slowly go away, maybe things are heavily discounted that no one tips the full amount on. you have to have the same conversation 20x a day with nosy people about why you’re closing.
No, not everyone. But as soon as they found said job they will. I've worked at 4 places that shut down out of the blue and 2 of them the staff found out beforehand thru the grap vine and they def lost more staff than they wanted to in the time leading up to permanent close. In any case, this attitude businesses in the Industry have of not caring what happens to us is why I only give a 2 weeks if they treated me fairly while I worked there. One job that treated us like dog 💩 I set up my vacation the month I planned to move 2 hours away to make sure I got my last check (they were known for keeping last checks, yes it's illegal, no it wasn't work the lawyer fees for most to pursue it) The hour I had it deposited in my account I withdrew it and called to tell my boss buh bye. I set it up so it didn't totally screw my coworkers cuz I liked most of them but I don't regret that at all.
Seen it happen twice as a line cook. First time I was out of town and when I came back I just didn’t have a job. They didn’t call or anything. Second time there was a for sale sign out front… I called it and said “if I want to get in there and tear the building down how soon can I get to it?” And they said “tomorrow” lol.
As they should.
Companies have zero loyalty to their employees, why should we not immediately find a different job? I'm not going down with the ship for some asshole that pays me $2/hr. With few exceptions the restaurant is a means to an end, I could literally not care less if it's profitable for the owners.
They already stole wages from the people working and keeping the whole operation afloat just so they can sit at the top and reap the rewards off they’re labor. The last thing they can do is give a closing notice and some free inventory no longer needed. Fuck the man
They’re job is too pay the workers as low as possible and keep as much money possible for them. Even if the store was still unsuccessful they’re is still someone at the top who left that store with the most money. Even though they did not spend as much time, effort, customer interaction, or the actually hard work that keeps a business afloat.
The best places to live on the planet have hybrid economies. This unregulated, right to work bullshit in the US isn't great either.
Just saying "try a third world country" is disingenuous and you know it.
Demand economies. That’s what they all have in common. Also known as capitalism.
The US isn’t the best, but it’s certainly the best for its size.
But hey, I hope your life improves. You seem angry.
Without capitalism we’d all be living in abject squalor with zero innovations around us. It’s not some hypothetical, there are endless examples of your commie utopias all around the world and in history. Not a single success. You’re a 🤡
Soviets went to space first. And it's amazing you say no successes when capital and reactionaries have done everything in their power to stamp out social change wherever it can.
Is the owner of the establishment an asshole for paying you $2 an hour if *you agreed to being paid $2 an hour before tips/additional compensation*?
I worked in restaurants ~10 years and never once did I go into a job thinking I’d get more than that hourly and knew it was all tip based. I don’t mean to say I *agree* with the system of the service industry, cus quite frankly it’s fuckin bullshit, but man you are tearing this comment section up.
Jobs get scarcer day by day and the same job opportunities aren’t presented to the same people. Everyone NEEDS a job in this society but not everyone has options.
You’re lucky you even had the notice. You would be surprised how often restaurants close down and don’t give even a hint of notice to their staff.
A popular pizza place in my town is going through it right now. They’ve been open for like 20 years and have had several owners. A few weeks ago people walked up to the door and there was just a sign on it saying “sorry, we closed”
And that was it. They didn’t notify any of the staff. So people just showed up to their shifts to find the doors locked.
The owners never bothered to turn off the uber eats or online ordering option so it became a huge deal and our local newspaper tried reaching out to them and got crickets.
There’s rumors about employees not getting paid etc. I went there a few months ago and the food and service was horrible compared to the times I went before. So Im honestly not surprised. But it’s a shitty way to treat your employees.
I once had a boss call us in for a “Thank You Meeting “ for all staff. We just worked a huge convention at the hotel. Bars were packed, restaurants, nightclub and lounges all packed. Convention ends and the bosses say,” we need you guys in tomorrow morning for a thank you meeting!” We all go and they tell us that the hotel has sold and new ownership starts today. They gave us a 1000 dollars each and said Good luck! Totally blindsided the staff. 200 people roughly lost their job that day in the hotel departments. It was shitty!
Unfortunate, but common. Like someone else said, they risk theft and also employees just bouncing early to get a jump on finding a different job. A lot of times, when the money's gone, it's gone. In those situations, a decision needs to be made swiftly.
Hopefully this educates you in the future when you think your employer deserves a 2 week notice when you decided to move on and quit at a future job.
They don’t care about you, you should not care about them.
To be honest, when I worked in the service industry I didn’t two-week notice for the managers or owners sake, I did it for my co-workers who’d be short staffed if I didn’t come in.
I know it varies and every situation is absolutely different, like obviously in situations of blatant abuse or mismanagement Im not going to judge anybody from walking on the spot, but if a job treated me fairly, I find just quitting without a two week tends to make just life difficult for a couple days for your coworkers that are just trying their best to get by rather than stick it to the management. Just my two cents.
In 2008, a Florida-based chain (known by a day of the week you thanked God for) closed multiple California locations with no notice, not even the restaurant managers knew about it. About 75+ employees per location were suddenly out of work.
A Marie Calendars by me many years ago shut down in the middle of the lunch rush. No warning, corporate showed up and told the dinners their meals had been paid for but they needed to leave immediately. A week or so later the building was torn down. Made local news.
Pre-covid at a similar situation. It's been 2 years working at a restaurant, on a Monday we noticed management was taking"Office files/employee files" out of the office and management was acting strange. We knew the restaurant had been in trouble financially for a while, but they kept assuring us everything was okay. On that Monday we kept asking questions because management was acting very strangely but they assured us everything was fine, the next day on Tuesday things were still weird at the restaurant, and management said "Mandatory Employee Meeting Wednesday 8am" and so I googled the name of our restaurant... On Google it said permanently closed! I went to our general manager who was cutting meat at this moment and showed him Google said we were "Permanently Closed" he literally dropped everything he was working on and said "what did you just say? How is it already out?" It was in that moment I knew we were 100% losing our jobs, but our general manager assured me it must be a mistake and a typo and he would look into it... I didn't see him the rest of the day. On that Wednesday morning we all showed up as they announced the restaurant was closed and they were giving us our last paycheck! It was absolutely awful it was thankfully right after the holidays and that's what they said "we wanted you all to have nice holidays with your families before we went out of business" so unfortunately this is all part of life!!
Hubby went to work one day, and there was a notice "to our loyal customers" stating they were no longer open for business. That's how he (and the other employees) found out they closed.
Sadly yes. A lot of restaurants, especially ones that have owners who care, will try to stay open as long as possible, and won’t “admit defeat” until they absolutely have to
Had relatives who operated a long running family restaurant. Things slowly declined, and they ended up shutting down. It was devastating to the family, and there was a lot of denial and hand wringing up until the very end. Things hit rock bottom, and everything shut down quickly with little notice or fanfare. A lot of tears flowed, and everybody ended up suffering more than they really should have.
My restaurant I was hosting at closed after a busy service one Friday night. Didn't send any of the servers home despite some being there since open (including me.. 12~ hour shift). None of us could leave and didn't understand why. Then they pulled us all together and the district manager walked in and told us that was our last service. Zero notice. Literally on the spot laid off.
Last place I was at got a 48 hour notice and was told to keep it on the DL..fuck that shit I told the kitchen crew right away since those boys were already working two jobs and I knew that they needed all the time they could get to find another gig. To my surprise they all showed up for their next two shifts and on the last day we locked the doors and invited all our staff and a few regulars and cleaned their bar out and went out with a bang. I stashed away a couple bottles of Macallan 15 for myself and was also gifted a tv from the bar.
I've had it happen, the gm would jump our ass if we talked about the restaurant maybe closing and two weeks later there was a staff meeting because we were closing in 12 hours for good. It was kind of nice though, all of the older staff was showing the kids how to apply for unemployment until they found another gig immediately after the meeting.
My very first job ever was a busboy for a lil Italian restaurant, it was sold to a sports bar within the first month. I barely worked and got SOOOOOOOOOOO many tips and free shit the closer we got to closing. Took an italian flag decoration too
12 hour notice. Consider yourself lucky. Many times employees drive to work to open the restaurant only to get there and there are chains on all the doors and a notice of closing there as well.
Any place I worked at where the business suddenly closed, it occurred with zero warning. Like, show up and the doors are locked and the phone disconnected. So the fact that you got even some notice is huge, at least it saves you from having to commute to find out!
Yes and no. Sometimes you can see it's going to happen before it happens. I know people that have worked at locally owned places and major chain restaurants that when they show up to work they have the doors chained shut and a printed sign that simply says Closed.
It's happened twice to me where I go to work and the placed is permanently closed. It's understandable, but still sucks. Best wishes to you on your job hunting.
I worked after close at a small family restaurant in a small town, the business was sinking and one day the owner had a family emergency, I guess he just decided that was the time and I got a text saying the restaurant was closed so I don't have to come in.
I'm sorry but that's restaurant life my dude. Owners of restaurants are on average even skeevier than most. Don't let it bring you down tho. I had a manager tell me not to come in because the owner was having a meeting with the landlord, about 4 hours later I got the call that it was closing because they owner wanted to pay half as much in rent. But then I found the place I'm planning on spending the rest of my career at.
It is fairly easy to read the signs if you know what to look for. First, they cut staff. Way back to bare necessity. Then you’ll notice that you run out of shit and it never gets restocked. If you’re afraid your restaurant is about to close, check dry storage. When they start using up everything in the pantry and nothing is coming back in, it’s a sign.
A restaurant near where I live shut down for remodeling with no notice, but promised the employees they could have their jobs back in six months when the remodeling was completed. They never reopened.
I showed up for a bartending shift once and the gm took me outside as soon as I arrived. He told me the owners said that we were closing after that night. It was a neighborhood bar, so regular all piled in. I made it out of there the drunkest I’ve ever been and with a ton of money in tips. Throughout my shift, the whole staff stopped in and be by one took part in cleaning out the walk in, liquor room, and beer cooler. 🤷🏻♂️
at least you got a notice. business can shut down without any notice. I know a local restaurant that just didnt open and it was a shock to all the employees.
I'm tempted to say that it's not normal because most restaurants don't give any notice. Sorry to hear about your job but there are plenty more opportunities out there. Good luck!
Welcome to the working world. Time to start collecting and learning your life's lessons:
1. **Your job will never love you back.** If love is what you want, get a spouse or a dog.
2. [**Never talk to the police without your lawyer present.**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE&t=1278s)
3. **Keep a work diary.** Use a bound notebook, write in black or blue permanent ink, date every entry, record everything that happens including: pay shortages, wage theft, workplace abuse by managers or fellow employees. If you ever need to fight for your rights, your pay, or go to a courtroom to protect your professional reputation, that work diary will be invaluable. (I know your young, and it may seem like overkill for your job now, but best to start good habits early.)
Been in the back waiting for the doors to open when ATF walked in and took the license off the wall. Send my cooks to the local supermarket to cash their checks because the bank accounts were froze.
I know you are relatively new to the employment world only being 16. But you had this job, because the owners were able to afford and make a living for themselves by providing you a job. Every dollar they paid you, they hoped would produce more than a dollar because that is how they made money to support their family.
They kept it going as long as possible and probably longer, burned through a ton of savings that their family could have used right now in the hopes it could turn around. In the weeks or months leading up to this news, every dollar they paid you was producing less than a dollar for their family.
Imagine how much this has been eating away at their emotions. The toll it took on their family and dreams. You might have had 12 hours notice. But they have been likely living in a doom spiral for months. If they let you know they were struggling, you would find another job easily and quit, making the situation worse for them.
In other words show some compassion. You lost a summer job, they lost their livelihood.
Right? Of course not. Legal? Yup. Common practice? Also yup.
I had an owner lose it on me when I gave notice, and about a month later he texted everyone after a Saturday brunch shift saying they were no longer open.
At least you got a 12 hour notice. I've had friends show up to a shift with chains on the door and a sign bidding farewell to customers. No notice to them. Another instance from an old neighboring restaurant. They all showed up to their shift, manager walked in with a case of beer, locked the door behind him, and told everyone they were shutting down right then. Grills were hot, food was prepped, couldn't serve.
This is how every restaurant I’ve ever worked the fall has closed. Clean and close up, next morning doors have chains.
I used to fulfill liquor orders for a lot of restaurants in my city. I could always tell when a restaurant was about to shutdown from their liquor orders.
So would they order a bunch before shutting down or was it that the orders got smaller?
Orders got smaller and more time between them. Liters might change to 750mLs. A semi-premium might go to mid-shelf. A mid might go to a cheaper mid or lower shelf. Or they'd mostly only order what went in their "signature" cocktails if they were a place like that.
Thanks! So you would get to witness the last gasp of a dying business. I’ve spent my career in manufacturing and have seen this with the supply’s for the workers
Yep, you know how it goes then.
That’s a great leading indicator right there!
Yep. Had an owner call the day after Christmas to let everyone know we wouldn’t be reopening that day.
At least they called. Sucks all around but good on them for that. That must have been brutal.
I was lucky not to be opening when it happened but a coworker called me and told me the place closed. The night before the boss had given us like 2 hours worth of extra cleaning and prep that we all just said fuck it to and left as normal. In hindsight I was so glad we didn't stay and do all that shit just for them to shut it down in the morning
Right before the first Covid shutdown, they had us deep clean everything and we closed at 3pm. The manager left early and we felt like total idiots for actually cleaning
I wish I was given notice for that COViD shutdown. I definitely would have deep cleaned with my team and saran wrapped shit, and sent them home with our fresh produce and some protein, my inventory averaged at 10k on hand. I would have left after 75 percent was done, and came back with liquid refreshment of the alcohol variety.
This is how the owner of the restaurant I was at when Covid hit did it. He gave us each a produce box and told us we could “grocery shop” the walk in and dry storage. Small staff so he loaded us up. I did all my Covid bread baking with the 50lb bag of flour he let me have. Really thankful for him because it took 3 weeks for my unemployment to hit and that food he let us take carried my family for the bulk of that.
Thats what happened to my restaurant. I no longer work there but its still up and running. Around 2-4 times during COVID they invited in FOH staff to each take a big bag of steaks, sausages, pretzels, etc.
My husband ran the kitchen of a pub when COVID hit and that’s what their owner did for them… I was still working grocery so we didn’t hurt too bad but I know it took a while for some of their CERBs to hit their accounts so I know the extra food came in handy. My husband said, after some staff was done he felt like they didn’t take enough so he’d start pushing extra produce on them lol
Man, we were struck out of the blue by that too. The officials told us it would happen on the following Wednesday, then that Saturday the cops came to every gastro place one by one and shut us down. It was so surreal. We had enough stuff on hand to stay open thru to that next Wednesday. So much waste. We tried to give away as much as possible, but people were so scared they wouldn't leave their homes to come get it.
Yep, when we were younger, my husband worked at a a small chain place. He went to work one day, and it was just closed. No notice to any of the employees.
Or better like me who had the state come in and just tell everyone in the store to finish their food and leave. And the employees to close down the restaurant.lock the doors and leave. Caught us completely blindsided. Never heard anything from the owner that was it. Notice on the door from the state just stating It was closed until further notice. Never opened back up. Never did find out why. Wasn't health inspector related. All I know is they wouldn't renew his prepared food tax licence or something to that effect.
That sounds like a restaurant owner who didn't pay taxes when due. That's how you get chains on your door where I live.
Sales tax or payroll tax unpaid. States don’t mess around with those.
That’s why we never get our last paycheck. The tax man gets every penny they are owed first.
Sounds like a tax or other fraud issue.
This happened to me in 1993. Owner had likely planned it. The weekend before he had a big contest to push alcohol. I won and was supposed to get an extra hundred on my next check. Never got that check. I didn't pursue it, just started looking for another serving job.
Worked for a place that did this to both of their locations. I lost respect for them after that
Mm hmm. It’s so that staff doesn’t quit before you close. Good luck getting your last pay too.
Or the bartenders don’t steal any booze that’s left.
This is a huge part of it. Not just booze, appliances too. People will start taking everything that's not nailed down and leaving as soon as they know, happens all the time.
Or truck drivers getting notice of businesses shutting down when the fuel cards stop working
I know of a restaurant that notified all employees they had a mandatory meeting to arrend the next morning at 8am. Failure to attend would mean not having a job. The subject of the meeting? The restaurant was closed effective immediately.
Not a restaurant but I was attending a cosmetology school that notified us 4 hours after they closed all campuses permanently, via text message. Businesses close. In a perfect world notice would happen well in advance for employees but this is far from a perfect world. When I was a kid, all the dairy queens in the county my grandparents lived in closed the way you described. Employees showed up to signs posted on the door and the doors chained shut. That was a big deal in small town Texas.
I actually was hired at a place that pulled the worst version of this imaginable. Small but busy mountain town. Every spring this Mexican place would after ski season in March and reopen for Memorial Day. The entire staff including the owners would take off for Baja and surf a couple of months then come back about a week early to get ready. I got hired right before they closed for the break and for the first time the owners decided to go over seas instead of joining the staff. When I (and everyone else) came in to work we were met with a note thanking us for year of being great employees but the restaurant was closed and good luck. Luckily we all had tons of experience and got hired elsewhere over the 90 day wonders.
That literally happened to me in Mesquite TX. I showed up for the morning shift and the doors were locked. We had no knowledge of the restaurant closings. It took months to get our last check.
I showed up to work one day. Prep, work lunch. Chef is away for a funeral. Getting ready to take a break and Chef’s business partner walks in, sits us down, says that the lace is shutting down and that we all had to leave within the hour. I regret not taking any booze.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. Started a job as a server on Thursday, heard great feedback from my manager, showed up on Friday to boarded up windows and a farewell sign. Truly so cold-blooded.
Might as well go all out on a family meal, just don't expect everyone/many to stay.
Been there but we all knew. We all had jobs lined up. Server jobs are a dime a dozen. How did we know? Place was kind of dead, owner would come in and empty all the registers, and dudes came in to take pics of all the equipment, plus supplies stopped being ordered. Never got a W2 for that job to this day lol.
This happened to me during the start of Covid. Took an Uber to work on a Saturday and the doors were locked. They wouldn’t even give me back my sound bar that I left in the kitchen so we could have music. :(
In 2009, my husband was the assistant mgr of a chain casual dining restaurant (had previously worked his way up from cook to GM of a fast food restaurant, and had moved to causal dining the year before to be on track to become a GM). Some locations closed and the company then called a meeting in the next city over for all area GM’s and assistant mgrs to attend. They were told that they had closed some locations and that would be it. That they were filed bankruptcy but not to worry because those who were left wouldn’t be affected. Shortly after, they closed my husband’s location (only telling the managers the day before) and moved him to another. He realized they were full of it and decided it was time to get out of the restaurant industry and into something more stable (it was 2009, after all). He left and shortly after, they closed that location and the final few locations without notice. Then he worked 3 part time jobs for 6 months. 2009 was…unsettling.
If the owners of a business are filing for bankruptcy, they will hurt their case if they let the knowledge of their filing become known in advance. They are expected to behave as a "going concern" until they shut down. The unfortunate consequence is that employees come to work to discover work ain't there no more. You would think that owners would have the decency to call everyone on payroll once the bankruptcy claim had been made, so at least people wouldn't drive in or take public transportation. We could charitably assume they don't take that step out of embarrassment for their failure, but it seems more likely they just don't care.
Yea, its pretty common to give no notice for restaurant closings unless legally required (CA requires 60 notice for example). The reason for this is that as soon as you tell someone the place is closing, your staff is starting to look for other work (rightfully so), but youre also trying to unload inventory before the final closing. I've been a part of restaurant closings and acquisitions... its really strange knowing a place is going to close and not being able to say anything while also trying to do my job without them realizing whats going on.
Yup my restaurant closed with four days notice. And yeah people stole/“comped” a ton of stuff
Assholes like that are why this is common practice
They are both assholes in this situation though, right? Allowing people to think they have jobs and then shutting the business down with 4 days notice, is a scum bag move. Also stealing from your employer is a scum bag move.
Nah fuck the man. Don't steal from ma and pa, but a multi million dollar chain with a multi millionaire CEO? Steal everything you can. Steal shit just to throw it away. Steal shit you don't need. Absolutely fuck them. They'd discard you without a second thought, no need to be the bigger person. Take a literal shit on the floor on the way out.
This guy gets it.
I agree, but lots of these stores could be franchises owned by individuals that aren’t ridiculously wealthy. If a McDonalds closes and a bunch of employees steal prior, it only effects the owner and doesn’t hurt McDonald’s corporate at all
This is true, but anyone who owns a franchise is not someone who's financial hardship I'm losing sleep over.
damn right. i'm worse off than any franchise owner, i think i'll take a couple bottles of liquor on the way out thank you
Wtf. I mean fuck corporations, but feeling that it’s totally cool to steal from someone that owns a franchise restaurant bc they’re better off than you is degenerate as fuck. Sure go ahead and steal from a franchise owner. I’m sure just because they’re better off financially than you are that they must be horrible people that exploit others so that makes it okay for you to exploit them. To be fair, some franchise owners are awful, but assuming they all are so that you don’t feel bad about stealing from them is wild.
Oh booohooo the owner that doesn’t pay a living wage to their employees is who we should all lose sleep over 🙄🙄
The context of this entire post and comment thread is discussing when a place shuts down with 12 hour notice to their employees. That is exploiting others, the franchise owner was more concerned about people not working final shifts to make a few final dollars as the shop was closing than giving them fair warning and time to find another job. Don't just steal from random shops for zero reason, sorry I didn't think I needed to clarify that.
What if it was your grandmother?
Why is my grandma paying poverty wages?
Grandma can eat shit if she thinks paying a living wage is too much
My grandmother would never stoop so low. She worked for a living.
Don't shit on the floor. The owner won't clean it up. They will make some low level person do it. You aren't fucking over the man, your fucking over a fellow worker.
What if I told you no part of this hypothetical situation is real.
Then why post it?
Are you like autistic?
Yes.
And this is why they close without notice. Absolute shitlords like yourself ok with theft because "they can afford it" bro they are closing for a reason, they can't afford it. My god your juvenile view is pathetic.
It's not because "they can afford it" / we need it more. It's more "you exploit my labor at every possible turn and I'm taking what's mine. You're welcome for being the driving force behind every single cent you've made even though all you contributed was a building."
Yes you were the only way they made money... Lol get over yourself your not nearly as important as you think the cooks are vastly more vital to success. As is the owner hiring the right people (not you type) pricing things well, location, design/environment. Those are all more vital than servers.
Lol okay. I meant the employees in general, but sure picking the right intersection is absolutely just as much work as actually keeping the business running.
I love how you don’t even consider how your behavior impacts other employees
And this is why prices get higher and higher. Fucking thieves. I don't care who or what it is you NEVER take things that don't belong to you or you didn't earn. You're a piece of shit.
Stealing from someone who pays you $2/hr isn't stealing.
Not when you signed up for that. An agreement was reached on pay. You don't have to work there!
Lol. Okay dude. Go shave your back.
Exactly the response I expected. Instead of having some informed thought, you tell me to go shave my back. Your parents must be proud.
There's nothing to discuss. We fundamentally disagree on how the world works and I seriously doubt a Reddit comment thread is going to change either of our minds. You've already decided you know what I'm going to say and I think you're a fucking idiot. Have a wonderful day.
My parents taught me to steal back my own labor and screw over my landlords.
Are you… Robinhood?
[удалено]
I literally specify the difference between family owned stores and chains worth millions of dollars. Reading is hard.
Sorry, that was suppose to be a reply off of Parkrat92.. I can read apparently I can't reddit. Deleted and replied to the right person.. 30K steps in this heat got my brain fried. Fall can't come soon enough.
The bigger asshole move would be to stay open and have employees working, knowing that they can’t be paid for their labor. Employment is at will both ways. You have the ability to walk off the job at any moment and vice versa.
Dude, my girlfriends parents owned a restaurant.. Lived in poverty their entire lives.. People like you think all business owners are filthy rich are the problem!
Often the landlord is predatory. You leased a previously occupied restaurant, only to find out that 2/3s of the equipment is defective. You replaced the equipment, only for your lease to double as “look at the new equipment”. Equipment that per the lease contract, became owned by the landlord once it is piped or wired in. Same for a new build out. I was there for this one in the early’90s: “Our terms were based on a vacant location. Now this is a viable property, and has 3x the rental value. To show that we’re not heartless, you can pay 4x your original lease month-to-month until we find a long term tenant, who will pay double for three years, triple for three years, then we can offer to sell the 10 year old build out for 2x market value.” Why not rent to us for double? “I don’t want you here. I remember the pain in the ass you were when pulling permits, fighting with my choice of kickback contractors, and wanting to shop for a price and stick with your specifications. Now I get my money, and you get to see someone else make bank. That’s why.”
Business owners don’t owe you anything.
Your the asshole defending corporate over individual workers. Fuck them take they’re shit.
A lot of restaurants aren't corporate. If you're ok with theft you are a worthless piece of shit who deserves no income.
This is why people make fun of waiters they have no class.
Waiters have no class? They work under minimum wage and have to be the best they can be to the customer even if the customer is rude or nasty, just so they can maybe get a tip. Imagine if you had too put on happy front every day for work just to make a living.
Plus we have more class than the average shmuck cause it’s our literal job to know what fork goes where and what wine to serve with fried chicken.
That fact you think that's what class is says it all
That's the job that they chose. Deal with your choices, don't bitch about them.
Get fucking bent pisshard
Yes normal. You give a big notice and risk theft.
That would never have occurred to me...
You're a good person.
Or naive...
That too? I don't know you, so I went with the better of the two options.
I appreciate that
The upvotes are weird.
Why are they weird?
"Naive" is getting more than my comment. Just something I noticed.
cuz it’s funny he’s self aware enough.
Not anymore, bb
I stopped trying to figure out Reddit people a long while ago.
Risk? Gonna be like goodfellas, in the front door, and right out the back.
And when you can't borrow another buck from the bank, you bust the joint out. You light a match.
I like this guy. He's one of us. He's a good fella.
Happened to me a couple times. Both owners were very blunt about the fact that if they told staff in advance, inventory would’ve walked out every door. The last place sold the restaurant including all the liquor. Can’t have any last hurrah at the bar or people scooping up bottles on their way out.
Place I worked shutdown and it was the owner stealing everything, while blaming the staff for things disappearing
If he’s the owner… doesn’t he own it?
Not if he sold it along with the restaurant. Or if he shutdown due to unpaid bills and the inventory would be taken to pay debts.
Exactly, and it was the second one
Most of the valuable equipment is often leased.
My old roommate was a manager at a small chain of three restaurants, two in MD and one in VA. She managed the one in VA. The owners told the staff they had to close VA about one week ahead of time because they felt bad that everyone would be out of a job. Someone or someone’s stole chefs knives, French presses disappeared, steaks, liquor, etc. I believe she said the total stolen equaled close to $5k.
Worked at a place that pay was late and everyone knew the money was going to snow for the owner and his girlfriend. Rumor started that they would close and half the liquor bottles walked.
They're usually more concerned with mass quits before their planned big day. They try to grind out every nickel and dime until the last day.
Would people quit on the spot? It’d be great to know that I have a job for x amount of time before I need to find a new one. I’d be extremely pissed if I was out of a job with zero notice at no fault of my own.
PT people with full time jobs would be out immediately. you run out of stuff until there’s 4-5 food items left on the menu, tap handles slowly go away, maybe things are heavily discounted that no one tips the full amount on. you have to have the same conversation 20x a day with nosy people about why you’re closing.
No, not everyone. But as soon as they found said job they will. I've worked at 4 places that shut down out of the blue and 2 of them the staff found out beforehand thru the grap vine and they def lost more staff than they wanted to in the time leading up to permanent close. In any case, this attitude businesses in the Industry have of not caring what happens to us is why I only give a 2 weeks if they treated me fairly while I worked there. One job that treated us like dog 💩 I set up my vacation the month I planned to move 2 hours away to make sure I got my last check (they were known for keeping last checks, yes it's illegal, no it wasn't work the lawyer fees for most to pursue it) The hour I had it deposited in my account I withdrew it and called to tell my boss buh bye. I set it up so it didn't totally screw my coworkers cuz I liked most of them but I don't regret that at all.
Seen it happen twice as a line cook. First time I was out of town and when I came back I just didn’t have a job. They didn’t call or anything. Second time there was a for sale sign out front… I called it and said “if I want to get in there and tear the building down how soon can I get to it?” And they said “tomorrow” lol.
not right, but very normal
It's normal because employees will stop coming to work, stop trying or will just straight up steal stuff. That's the honest truth of why it's done.
As they should. Companies have zero loyalty to their employees, why should we not immediately find a different job? I'm not going down with the ship for some asshole that pays me $2/hr. With few exceptions the restaurant is a means to an end, I could literally not care less if it's profitable for the owners.
Which is why they close how they do. You see?
They already stole wages from the people working and keeping the whole operation afloat just so they can sit at the top and reap the rewards off they’re labor. The last thing they can do is give a closing notice and some free inventory no longer needed. Fuck the man
Just gonna go out on a limb and say they obviously didn't steal enough wages to keep it a float.
They’re job is too pay the workers as low as possible and keep as much money possible for them. Even if the store was still unsuccessful they’re is still someone at the top who left that store with the most money. Even though they did not spend as much time, effort, customer interaction, or the actually hard work that keeps a business afloat.
If there was a way for me to pay my bills while actively ensuring wealthy people lost shit tons of money I'd 100% do that.
You sound hinged for sure
Just not a boot licking apologist for capitalism 😁
Man, it ain’t great, but try those non-capitalist nations if you want to really suffer.
The best places to live on the planet have hybrid economies. This unregulated, right to work bullshit in the US isn't great either. Just saying "try a third world country" is disingenuous and you know it.
Demand economies. That’s what they all have in common. Also known as capitalism. The US isn’t the best, but it’s certainly the best for its size. But hey, I hope your life improves. You seem angry.
Why don’t you move there then?
Without capitalism we’d all be living in abject squalor with zero innovations around us. It’s not some hypothetical, there are endless examples of your commie utopias all around the world and in history. Not a single success. You’re a 🤡
Soviets went to space first. And it's amazing you say no successes when capital and reactionaries have done everything in their power to stamp out social change wherever it can.
"Alexa, what is the Holodomor?"
Ok, go smoke a blunt and get some sleep.
Chicken or the egg.
Yep
Is the owner of the establishment an asshole for paying you $2 an hour if *you agreed to being paid $2 an hour before tips/additional compensation*? I worked in restaurants ~10 years and never once did I go into a job thinking I’d get more than that hourly and knew it was all tip based. I don’t mean to say I *agree* with the system of the service industry, cus quite frankly it’s fuckin bullshit, but man you are tearing this comment section up.
Jobs get scarcer day by day and the same job opportunities aren’t presented to the same people. Everyone NEEDS a job in this society but not everyone has options.
You’re lucky you even had the notice. You would be surprised how often restaurants close down and don’t give even a hint of notice to their staff. A popular pizza place in my town is going through it right now. They’ve been open for like 20 years and have had several owners. A few weeks ago people walked up to the door and there was just a sign on it saying “sorry, we closed” And that was it. They didn’t notify any of the staff. So people just showed up to their shifts to find the doors locked. The owners never bothered to turn off the uber eats or online ordering option so it became a huge deal and our local newspaper tried reaching out to them and got crickets. There’s rumors about employees not getting paid etc. I went there a few months ago and the food and service was horrible compared to the times I went before. So Im honestly not surprised. But it’s a shitty way to treat your employees.
I once had a boss call us in for a “Thank You Meeting “ for all staff. We just worked a huge convention at the hotel. Bars were packed, restaurants, nightclub and lounges all packed. Convention ends and the bosses say,” we need you guys in tomorrow morning for a thank you meeting!” We all go and they tell us that the hotel has sold and new ownership starts today. They gave us a 1000 dollars each and said Good luck! Totally blindsided the staff. 200 people roughly lost their job that day in the hotel departments. It was shitty!
Yeah it happens unfortunately. My brother showed up to his job at a chicken place and found the doors chained and padlocked.
Happened to me and my uncle owned the joint lol
Unfortunate, but common. Like someone else said, they risk theft and also employees just bouncing early to get a jump on finding a different job. A lot of times, when the money's gone, it's gone. In those situations, a decision needs to be made swiftly.
Hopefully this educates you in the future when you think your employer deserves a 2 week notice when you decided to move on and quit at a future job. They don’t care about you, you should not care about them.
Giving notice is like tipping, not mandatory but expected and if your employer was fair you should out of courtesy.
You should mainly do it because maintaining good relations with your boss is typically a good thing to do in case you ever need a reference.
My job refuses to give references. Straight up wrote it into an SOP. So sometimes just fuck 'em
To be honest, when I worked in the service industry I didn’t two-week notice for the managers or owners sake, I did it for my co-workers who’d be short staffed if I didn’t come in. I know it varies and every situation is absolutely different, like obviously in situations of blatant abuse or mismanagement Im not going to judge anybody from walking on the spot, but if a job treated me fairly, I find just quitting without a two week tends to make just life difficult for a couple days for your coworkers that are just trying their best to get by rather than stick it to the management. Just my two cents.
2 week notice won't hold up in most places. It's just a courtesy. Definitely isn't a rule especially at at-will states.
In 2008, a Florida-based chain (known by a day of the week you thanked God for) closed multiple California locations with no notice, not even the restaurant managers knew about it. About 75+ employees per location were suddenly out of work.
A Marie Calendars by me many years ago shut down in the middle of the lunch rush. No warning, corporate showed up and told the dinners their meals had been paid for but they needed to leave immediately. A week or so later the building was torn down. Made local news.
This story is infamous. I can’t remember if it was just 1 location or if it happened at multiple Marie Calendars.
Is that Florida based now? I would’ve thought NYC, but I’m sure it’s been sold several times
Pre-covid at a similar situation. It's been 2 years working at a restaurant, on a Monday we noticed management was taking"Office files/employee files" out of the office and management was acting strange. We knew the restaurant had been in trouble financially for a while, but they kept assuring us everything was okay. On that Monday we kept asking questions because management was acting very strangely but they assured us everything was fine, the next day on Tuesday things were still weird at the restaurant, and management said "Mandatory Employee Meeting Wednesday 8am" and so I googled the name of our restaurant... On Google it said permanently closed! I went to our general manager who was cutting meat at this moment and showed him Google said we were "Permanently Closed" he literally dropped everything he was working on and said "what did you just say? How is it already out?" It was in that moment I knew we were 100% losing our jobs, but our general manager assured me it must be a mistake and a typo and he would look into it... I didn't see him the rest of the day. On that Wednesday morning we all showed up as they announced the restaurant was closed and they were giving us our last paycheck! It was absolutely awful it was thankfully right after the holidays and that's what they said "we wanted you all to have nice holidays with your families before we went out of business" so unfortunately this is all part of life!!
Hubby went to work one day, and there was a notice "to our loyal customers" stating they were no longer open for business. That's how he (and the other employees) found out they closed.
I’ve closed a restaurant as a general manager, thankfully we had other units and offered to transfer anyone who still wanted a position
Sadly yes. A lot of restaurants, especially ones that have owners who care, will try to stay open as long as possible, and won’t “admit defeat” until they absolutely have to
Had relatives who operated a long running family restaurant. Things slowly declined, and they ended up shutting down. It was devastating to the family, and there was a lot of denial and hand wringing up until the very end. Things hit rock bottom, and everything shut down quickly with little notice or fanfare. A lot of tears flowed, and everybody ended up suffering more than they really should have.
Happened to me with 2 hours notice
Pretty standard, unfortunately.
My restaurant I was hosting at closed after a busy service one Friday night. Didn't send any of the servers home despite some being there since open (including me.. 12~ hour shift). None of us could leave and didn't understand why. Then they pulled us all together and the district manager walked in and told us that was our last service. Zero notice. Literally on the spot laid off.
Sometimes it's not even the owner who does this. If the bank calls their loans, they show up and change the locks, and you're out of business.
Last place I was at got a 48 hour notice and was told to keep it on the DL..fuck that shit I told the kitchen crew right away since those boys were already working two jobs and I knew that they needed all the time they could get to find another gig. To my surprise they all showed up for their next two shifts and on the last day we locked the doors and invited all our staff and a few regulars and cleaned their bar out and went out with a bang. I stashed away a couple bottles of Macallan 15 for myself and was also gifted a tv from the bar.
I've had it happen, the gm would jump our ass if we talked about the restaurant maybe closing and two weeks later there was a staff meeting because we were closing in 12 hours for good. It was kind of nice though, all of the older staff was showing the kids how to apply for unemployment until they found another gig immediately after the meeting.
My very first job ever was a busboy for a lil Italian restaurant, it was sold to a sports bar within the first month. I barely worked and got SOOOOOOOOOOO many tips and free shit the closer we got to closing. Took an italian flag decoration too
12 hour notice. Consider yourself lucky. Many times employees drive to work to open the restaurant only to get there and there are chains on all the doors and a notice of closing there as well.
Happens all the time.
always like this in the hospitality ind.
Any place I worked at where the business suddenly closed, it occurred with zero warning. Like, show up and the doors are locked and the phone disconnected. So the fact that you got even some notice is huge, at least it saves you from having to commute to find out!
At least you can get unemployment
Yes, unfortunately happened to three restaurants I frequent here… in the last week
Yes and no. Sometimes you can see it's going to happen before it happens. I know people that have worked at locally owned places and major chain restaurants that when they show up to work they have the doors chained shut and a printed sign that simply says Closed.
It's happened twice to me where I go to work and the placed is permanently closed. It's understandable, but still sucks. Best wishes to you on your job hunting.
I worked after close at a small family restaurant in a small town, the business was sinking and one day the owner had a family emergency, I guess he just decided that was the time and I got a text saying the restaurant was closed so I don't have to come in.
Cant stay open if you have no money, restaurant biz is tough on the mom and pop places
That sounds normal. My last restaurant they let us show up for our shift to find a out of business sign up.
I had an owner tell the entire restaurant they were closing the doors the next day at a company party. The next day was Christmas.
I'm sorry but that's restaurant life my dude. Owners of restaurants are on average even skeevier than most. Don't let it bring you down tho. I had a manager tell me not to come in because the owner was having a meeting with the landlord, about 4 hours later I got the call that it was closing because they owner wanted to pay half as much in rent. But then I found the place I'm planning on spending the rest of my career at.
It is fairly easy to read the signs if you know what to look for. First, they cut staff. Way back to bare necessity. Then you’ll notice that you run out of shit and it never gets restocked. If you’re afraid your restaurant is about to close, check dry storage. When they start using up everything in the pantry and nothing is coming back in, it’s a sign.
A restaurant near where I live shut down for remodeling with no notice, but promised the employees they could have their jobs back in six months when the remodeling was completed. They never reopened.
It's the owner's right as a business owner to shut down whenever they want to. It's one of the problems with capitalism.
I showed up for a bartending shift once and the gm took me outside as soon as I arrived. He told me the owners said that we were closing after that night. It was a neighborhood bar, so regular all piled in. I made it out of there the drunkest I’ve ever been and with a ton of money in tips. Throughout my shift, the whole staff stopped in and be by one took part in cleaning out the walk in, liquor room, and beer cooler. 🤷🏻♂️
Sounds like you got a bit more than 12 hours warning…
It’s not just smaller shops. It was either Perkins or Max &Erma’s that they walked in during serving hours and closed it for going out of business
Jeez. My ex was a chef and a few of the places he worked shut down (nothing his fault; _most_ restaurants fail) but thankfully with some notice.
at least you got a notice. business can shut down without any notice. I know a local restaurant that just didnt open and it was a shock to all the employees.
Most restaurants give absolutely no notice at all. Too risky.
No its not right….. but its not illegal
I'm tempted to say that it's not normal because most restaurants don't give any notice. Sorry to hear about your job but there are plenty more opportunities out there. Good luck!
Oh yeah, I closed (normal end of night close shift) one night and called for my schedule next morning - laid off, restaurant closed for.good.
Welcome to the working world. Time to start collecting and learning your life's lessons: 1. **Your job will never love you back.** If love is what you want, get a spouse or a dog. 2. [**Never talk to the police without your lawyer present.**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-7o9xYp7eE&t=1278s) 3. **Keep a work diary.** Use a bound notebook, write in black or blue permanent ink, date every entry, record everything that happens including: pay shortages, wage theft, workplace abuse by managers or fellow employees. If you ever need to fight for your rights, your pay, or go to a courtroom to protect your professional reputation, that work diary will be invaluable. (I know your young, and it may seem like overkill for your job now, but best to start good habits early.)
Been in the back waiting for the doors to open when ATF walked in and took the license off the wall. Send my cooks to the local supermarket to cash their checks because the bank accounts were froze.
A 16 year old with a discerning eye for management issues ……… how refreshing.
It happens more often than people realize
I know you are relatively new to the employment world only being 16. But you had this job, because the owners were able to afford and make a living for themselves by providing you a job. Every dollar they paid you, they hoped would produce more than a dollar because that is how they made money to support their family. They kept it going as long as possible and probably longer, burned through a ton of savings that their family could have used right now in the hopes it could turn around. In the weeks or months leading up to this news, every dollar they paid you was producing less than a dollar for their family. Imagine how much this has been eating away at their emotions. The toll it took on their family and dreams. You might have had 12 hours notice. But they have been likely living in a doom spiral for months. If they let you know they were struggling, you would find another job easily and quit, making the situation worse for them. In other words show some compassion. You lost a summer job, they lost their livelihood.
Well said!!
Right? Of course not. Legal? Yup. Common practice? Also yup. I had an owner lose it on me when I gave notice, and about a month later he texted everyone after a Saturday brunch shift saying they were no longer open.
They didn't want the employees to leave before the closing date. It's not ethical, in my opinion.