Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of June, 2016: Many food suppliers/distributors are consolidating operations and killing jobs due to the collapsing grocery store and restaurant industries, as well as rising costs of food production, spread of disease and extreme weather.
Circle of Blue reports that since 2010 there’s been an average increase of 48% in municipal water rates across the U.S., despite a 22% drop in residential water use since 1999! In other words, to make up for citizens actually conserving water (like they’ve been told to do, for decades) cities have lost money and are jacking up rates!
Alabama: After 55 years McCollum’s Catfish and Seafood Restaurant shutting down next week, the owner saying “Food cost have gone up, and we just don’t have the business to keep it open.”
Arizona: In Phoenix, Sir Veza’s Taco Garage suddenly shutdown its Speedway location because “It just didn’t fit our needs anymore.” In Tempe, after 33 years Nello’s Pizza shutdown, supposedly to be replace with a different pizza joint.
California: In Santa Fe Springs, JBS USA Food issued a shutdown WARN, 60 jobs lost by mid-August. In Tracy, Taylor Farms issued a mass layoff WARN, 192 jobs lost by mid-September! In Oakland, after 50 years Nellie’s Soulfood Restaurant shutdown, the family owners called it quits and local news reported customers are shocked. Save Mart issued a shutdown WARN for their Vacaville distribution center, 325 jobs gone by mid-August! Mi Pueblo issued a shutdown WARN for their Newark grocery store, 76 jobs gone by mid-July. Illinois based food service company Levy Restaurants issued a shutdown WARN for their Ontario location, 167 jobs gone by mid-July! Vegetable grower Hiji Brothers shutting down, 260 people in Oxnard jobless by August! Switzerland based Nestlé issued a layoff WARN, 72 people in Modesto jobless by the end of July (supposedly temporarily). In Los Angeles, restaurant Yamashiro shutdown, 82 jobs lost. Also in LA, Bloomingdale’s shutdown their 59th & Lex Cafe, 17 jobs lost (supposedly temporarily). In Santa Monica, Buca Restaurant 2 issued a shutdown WARN, 39 jobs lost by August. Food packager Pactiv shutdown their Vernon operations, 106 jobs gone! In Salinas, food packager Foothill Packing has been fined $235-thousand USD for falsely firing U.S. citizens and replacing them with H-1B migrants: “The employer claimed the workers — who were U.S. citizens — had failed to meet production standards. Investigators found that many of them had consistently exceeded the production of many of the foreign workers doing the same jobs, yet Foothill did not terminate these foreign workers.”-U.S. Department of Labor press release
Colorado: In Colorado Springs, after 33 years the Old Chicago Pizza joint shutting down mid-July, 48 jobs threatened due to the landlord jacking up the rent: “This is 100% a leasing situation.”-Todd Wyatt, regional manager
Connecticut: After 16 years Salem Feed & Grain shutting down due to declining sales, the owner will focus on other businesses.
Florida: Miami news media report the following restaurants shutdown; Cena by Michy, The News Lounge and BLT Steak.
Idaho: Janitorial contractor DCS lost its contract with WinCo Foods, at least 121 jobs suddenly gone! Due to a lawsuit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing its approval for the way Idaho measures toxic arsenic levels in lakes and rivers. It sounds similar to what happened in Flint, Michigan: “EPA violated the Clean Water Act when it allowed arsenic levels in Idaho waters that are up to 1,000 times greater than the agency has determined are acceptable for this toxic chemical. EPA placed political expediency over human health protection.“– Nina Bell, Northwest Environmental Advocates
The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Canyon, Owyhee, Payette and Washington counties drought disaster areas: “The water quantity through the reservoir systems, through the river systems for irrigation was very good and is still very good. However, you do have those pockets….dryland, non-irrigated, that rely on Mother Nature.”-Mark Samson, USDA
The Idaho Statesman revealed that at least 4-thousand 4-hundred “guest workers” were brought into The Gem State in 2015 under the guise of there not being enough people to work the farms!
Some good news? 15 years after shutting down their Power County phosphorus operations FMC declared their EPA superfund site is now ready to be the new home to Rupert based Valley Agronomics‘ new fertilizer plant (Valley Agronomics is owned by Minnesota based Land O’Lakes). The arrogant ‘christian’ governor of Idaho, Butch Otter, proudly boasted that this was a sign the area’s economy has “risen from the ashes” and then flat lied by saying “…when somebody says we’re gonna return, we’re gonna come back! You can trust us that we will keep our promise in coming back. I want you to remember this day Valley Agronomics and FMC because they told us that! They told us that we can trust them…” This is a lie because it’s not FMC “coming back”, and Valley Agronomics never operated out of the site before! The so called Phoenix Site (as declared by Otter) will employ a measly 50 people once it’s up and running in 2017 (incompetent local TV stations have been reporting 70 jobs created, but those are the temporary construction jobs). I don’t think that qualifies as a local economy that’s “risen from the ashes”.
Illinois: Cookie and cracker maker Enjoy Life Foods issued a shutdown WARN for their Schiller Park location, 44 jobs lost by mid-August, no reason given. Local news say Oak Brook based McDonald’s will start bribing corporate level employees to quit (voluntary buyouts) in July. Insiders report that already “several hundreds” of employees have been made the offer to voluntarily become unemployed. Aramark Educational Services laid off 297 people after the University of Chicago canceled the food service contract! In Chicago, after 34 years Itto Sushi shutdown. Pleasant House Bakery shutdown, supposedly it’s being replaced with a pub. Oak+Char restaurant shutdown due to disputes between the owners. The state Attorney General is suing Jimmy John’s sandwich shops for forcing employees to sign illegal ‘noncompete’ contracts! At the Switzerland owned Nestlé Willy Wonka factory in Itasca a chemical spill caused at least 11 employees to be hospitalized, a total of 17 required attention by EMTs. In Galesburg, Hammer’s General Feed Store shutdown after 35 years of serving pizza.
Indiana: In Mishawaka, American Pancake House & Restaurant on Grape Road shutting down due to outrageously jacked rent and property tax! In White Township, after 17 years Ironwood Grill shutdown due to a combination of unaffordable upgrades and a disagreement with the landlord. In Mishawaka, after 31 years Honker’s restaurant shutting down due to the recession and increased competition: “It was getting harder and harder. We just didn’t have the financial strength to change concepts.”-Jeff Nickerson
Iowa: The city of Des Moines threatening to shutdown Hagar’s Manhattan Deli and the Greenwood Lounge if owner Lee Family Properties fails to make necessary upgrades. The battle between the property owner and the control freak city is years in the making: “He is the worst property owner I have encountered in my entire political career. We can’t get him to do anything, so this is our last resort.”-Christine Hensley, authoritarian city council member
Kentucky: In Lexington, two years after a grand re-opening Shorty’s Market shutting down. The 2013 shutdown and this new shutdown both blamed on lack of sales. ValuMarket shutting down their Louisville store on Hurstbourne, by July. Local news media says the property owner is redeveloping the property.
Massachusetts: Williams-Sonoma shutting down their Holyoke Mall cooking supply store in July.
Michigan: Kroger shutting down one of two of their West Bloomfield grocery stores by mid-July, 85 jobs affected. In Midland, Oscar’s Bar & Grill shutting down on Wednesday, according to employees. The owners refused to talk to local news media. The residents of Flint already pay the highest water rates in the U.S., soon their rates will double due to the incompetence of past ‘elected lawmakers’. Rowe Professional Service says the cost of replacing the water system in Flint will be at least $214-million USD, and take 50 years to do it! The pissed-off Sheriff of Genesee County blames an incompetent authoritarian government for escalating violent crime through lead poisoning: “The crime rate in Flint, for the last 10 to 15 years has been high, number one per capita of violent crime… This crisis…wasn’t created by a natural disaster, people created it. They put dictators into Flint, they called them emergency managers. One of the emergency managers signed over the Flint River without all of the safeguards built in. Now they’re all pointing their fingers at each other, but the lesson has got to be that you cannot take government away from the people. ……this is America? We’re giving money to Iraq….Afghanistan and we’re not taking care of our own people, that’s bullshit!”-Robert J. Pickell, in the documentary Fighting for Flint
Minnesota: After 39 years Shady Acres Herb Farm shutting down, the owners blame their health problems. Without warning Old Country Buffett shutdown restaurants in Duluth and Mankato, the restaurant equipment went up for sale immediately. In Buffalo, the employee owned Coborn’s Superstore grocery store shutting down in July, but not because of low sales. The administrators claim they need to expand, but the First Street South location will not allow it. However, there was no mention of plans to build a new store in Buffalo, 60 jobs affected.
Mississippi: After 27 years Que Sera Sera restaurant shutdown after a two years failed attempt to sell it.
Missouri: In Saint Louis, local news media reporting the following restaurants shutdown; The Stratford Bar & Grill, Hilltop, Cafe Eau, Chaser’s, Fort Taco, Lilly’s Music & Social House, Noodles & Company and Soulard Supper Club. Also in Saint Louis, the Luna Lounge shutting down, the owner saying “a lot of factors” were responsible with the deciding factor being “I don’t want to be working until 1:30 a.m. any more.”
Nebraska: In Lincoln, after 59 years Conroy’s Bakery shutdown. “Nebraska’s overall economy may appear strong, but a Federal Reserve economist cautions that strong businesses in the state’s biggest cities are masking weakness in rural areas….. …the farm economy is softening because of weak crop prices and lower land values, so the outlook is more negative in rural areas of the state.”
New York: In Brooklyn-NYC, after 75 years the Florence Food Center shutting down due to migrants! Local news media says the Florence Food Center caters to Italians, but the area is experiencing skyrocketing immigration from “Asians, Russians, Central Americans, and Middle Easterners” while Brooklyn Italians are getting the hell outta Dodge! Old Country Buffet issued a shutdown WARN for their Bay Shore operation, 42 jobs gone by mid-September. In Mount Cisco, Via Vanti! shutdown due to the operator losing his lease to an unnamed future tenant (the landlord refuses to name the tenant) who is willing to pay much more in rent. Fairway Lake Grove issued a shutdown WARN for their two years old Fairway gourmet grocery store, 107 jobs gone by the end of July! France based food contractor Sodexo lost their contract with Mount Saint Mary College, 72 jobs gone by the end of July.
North Dakota: In Bismarck, after six years burger joint Reza’s Pitch shutdown. The building has been home to several restaurants over the past 40 years, the owner is retiring.
Oklahoma: In Tulsa, after more than 50 years Cooper’s Fruit Stand shutting down due to a death in the family.
Oregon: Despite claiming a “return” in 2002 Coffee People shutdown the last five of its coffee shops. At one time there were more than 40 Coffee People (Coffee Man) shops. After ten years Altar Bar shutdown, supposedly sold to raise money to open a steel mill. “Breaking From Custom, One Small Oregon Farm Pays [immigrant] Strawberry Pickers by the Hour”
Pennsylvania: HMS Host apparently lost its food contract with the Pittsburgh Mills Mall, 51 jobs gone by the end of July. It’s been revealed that the Presbyterian/Agnostic Warren Buffett owned Kraft-Heinz Tassimo coffee shutdown will kill off 341 jobs by Xmas! In Chadds Ford, Chef Anthony’s Italian Market shutdown due to competition from larger operations. The tax hungry city of Philadelphia created a tax on soda, not just for so called ‘sugary’ soda (since the mid-1990s 90% of soda’s are made with GMO corn syrup + chemical sweeteners, not true sugar) but for ‘diet’ sodas as well! The tax goes into effect January 2017. “Perry County man dies in farm accident, drowns in manure”
South Carolina: Southern Season suddenly shutdown its Mount Pleasant restaurant/cooking school, claiming “…the Mount Peasant store was too large and too expensive to keep open.” In Charleston, Two Boroughs Larder shutting down by the end of July: “This is one of the hardest decisions we have ever made, second only to the day we opened the restaurant almost five years ago….Restaurant work is not easy….”-owners
Tennessee: Kellog’s eliminating 155 Eggo waffle factory employees in Rossville, by 2017, due to automation upgrades! In Knoxville, after 45 years (and surviving an arson attack) elitist snobbery restaurant The Orangery shutdown. The owners would only say that they are “preparing for new opportunities”.
Texas: In Houston, The Durham House restaurant shutdown, apparently after only a few months. The owner blames a family emergency, but a local news report said it “rarely seemed busy”.
Vermont: Coffee products maker Keurig still in trouble, now 108 people being laid off as production of Keurig Kold is shutdown! It’s blamed on non-stop crashing sales.
Washington: In Colville, after 11 years Lovitt Restaurant shutting down due to sales not being enough to support the owner’s growing family. The restaurant has been for sale for the past year, the owner’s are hoping to move to a larger city in the hopes they could have better sales.
Washington DC: The USDA has finally approved “the final safety net provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, which provide farmers and ranchers protection from weather disasters, market volatility and other risk factors”. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also pushing for stricter rules for the use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, incorrectly called Food Stamps). The new rules will make it harder for poor people (who qualify, like in Idaho I being a single healthy male do not qualify for SNAP even though I’m poverty level) to buy food by restricting them to only those food sellers that meet new ‘variety’ rules for uncooked/fresh food and restrict the purchase of cooked/prepared food. According to local news reports the following restaurants have or will shutdown; Atlas Room, Bakehouse, Bistro Francais, Cashion’s Eat Place, Food & Wine Company, Melt Shop, Olivia’s Diner and Poste.
Wisconsin: In Madison, restaurant AJ Bombers shutting down saying it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease. Restaurant Pastiche shutting down their Bay View-Milwaukee location in August. The owners are focusing on their other restaurants. In Waukesha, after 33 years Weissgerber Gasthaus shutdown, it’s being replaced with a strip mall. In Middleton, after 34 years Scott’s Pastry Shoppe shutting down by the end of Summer. Southern Wisconsin Foods issued a shutdown WARN for their Milton Burger King, 20 jobs lost by the end of July.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
May 2016: “we have no other choice.”