Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of September, 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.
The Wall Street Journal reports that despite a 65% increase in hops farming the number of new ‘craft’ breweries in operation far outpace hops production, creating a massive shortage of citra hops.
Read the article Digested: Buying the Farm to find out why the so-called organic farm industry is bogus. The article is about U.S. demand exceeding U.S. supply, but read between the lines and you should realize that there’s now so much government and corporate involvement that who knows if what you’re eating is truly ‘organic’.
Alabama: After 89 years C.F. Penn Hamburgers posted a shutdown notice on their Decature store, blaming crashing sales and skyrocketing rent: “This decision was made as the result of a decline in business, coupled with our rent increasing 80%.”
However, once the word got out the greedy landlord changed their mind and claimed it was a misunderstanding so, according to local news reports, C.F. Penn Hamburgers will remain open.
Arizona: Less than a month after shutting down a Tennessee location (without warning) Florida based World of Beer suddenly shutdown their Gilbert, Tempe and Tucson locations!
California: Border Grill shutting down their 26 years old Santa Monica location in October. In Bakersfield, after being evicted at the end of June RJ’s Bar & Grill now legally chapter 7 bankrupt dead. In San Francisco, Buttons Candy Bar shutdown, a defiant video store which shares the same retail space said “we aren’t intending to close.” Keil’s Food Stores issued a shutdown WARN for their Clairemont location, 49 jobs gone by November.
Colorado: Spice and ‘spirits’ seller Vom Fass shutdown their Fort Collins location to focus on internet sales. In Boulder, Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub & Restaurant shutdown due to crashing sales, caused by construction on a next-door building, and on jacked-up rent and property tax.
Connecticut: Monsanto laying off 39 people in Mystic, at the end of October.
Florida: After 41 years Mama B’s Giant Subs shutting down two Orlando locations, the owner is selling the properties so she can retire. Local news media said it was the third sandwich chain to recently shutdown restaurants in Orlando. In Ybor, Spaghetti Warehouse shutting down at the beginning of October. The owners spent 12 months looking for cheaper place to rent, with no luck.
Georgia: Food Lion shutdown their 20 years old Gainsville grocery store, the store’s manager said “Sales had really been suffering.” After 12 years Kitchenware Outfitters shutting down at the end of October.
Idaho: Trading Company Stores suddenly shutdown their Post Falls and Bonners Ferry locations, 68 jobs lost due to the owner selling out to Washington based Yoke’s. In Twin Falls, after more than 42 years Addison Restaurant West shutting down in October. The owner sold it so he could take care of his 98 years old mom.
Illinois: After 25 years Italian restaurant Rose Angelis shutdown in Lincoln Park, there was no explanation on the restaurant website. In Chicago, after 48 years The Parthenon suddenly shutdown, local news reports said the restaurant had failed two health inspections, which were supposedly rectified. There was no official reason for the unexpected permanent shutdown. Shop-N-Save shutting down a grocery store in Peoria, 69 jobs gone by October.
Indiana: Orscheln Farm and Home shutting down their Seymour store once the inventory is gone.
Kentucky: In Lexington, after 82 years Fayette Seed shutting down by the end of October. The owner is hoping to find a buyer for the business. In Louisville, McDonald’s shutting down their Kosair Children’s Hospital by Xmas. The lease expires and the Kosair-McDonald’s franchise can’t afford to renew it!
Massachusetts: Boston based restaurant operator Cosi now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, and possibly for sale.
Minnesota: In Saint Paul, The Barbary Fig Mediterranean Cuisine shutdown, the owner-chef said he’s tired of repairs, government regulations and employees calling in sick right before their shift.
Mississippi: Cheeky Monkey shutdown its D’Iberville bakery right after opening a new operation in Biloxi. In Jackson, The Penguin Restaurant & Bar suddenly shutdown.
Nebraska: Lincoln based United States Drought Monitor declared extreme drought conditions in the eastern half of Massachusetts, southeastern New Hampshire and the southern part of Maine.
New Jersey: General Mills shutting down the 76 years old Vineland Progresso soup factory, 340 jobs gone by 2018! Corporate administrators blame the labor union!
New Mexico: In Albuquerque, after 36 years Fair-n-Square grocery store shutdown so the mom-n-pop owners could retire.
New York: Another TGI Friday’s shutdown, this time their 20 years old restaurant in Dewitt. Administrators claim the 30 employees were offered jobs at other locations. After 79 years in the Big Apple iconic Carnegie Deli shutting down by the end of 2016, apparently it’s become a money losing proposition to do business in New York. In Schenectady, the Grog Shoppe shutting down after 40 years, the owners are considering whether to open a new business or just rent out their property to somebody else. In Wading River, the Davis Peach Farm shutdown due to a massive storm that destroyed their peach crop.
North Carolina: Rudean’s Restaurant shutdown after 17 years so the owner, who started operating restaurants while she was a teenager in the 1950s, could retire. The popular (customers started a petition to keep it open) Rusty Rudder shutdown by greedy landlord: “Regrettably, our landlord has decided not to renew the lease after 15 years of business forcing us to close our doors.”-Eric Paul and Brian Johnston, co-owners
North Dakota: In Grand Fork, after eight months of trying to sell the operation, 10 years old Dakota Harvest Bakers finally died. Local news media wasn’t sure if the popular bakery was finally sold as nobody in-the-know was talking.
Ohio: In Fairfield, after 13 years Symmes Tavern on the Green forced to shutdown by the greedy landlord, the owners hope to find a new affordable location. The Greene Town Center is now suing Florida based World of Beer for backing out on plans to open a restaurant. The lawsuit revealed that World of Beer had signed and then reneged on a ten year lease. Buehler Food Markets shutting down their nine years old store in Brunswick, 125 jobs gone by the end of October! In Bowling Green, after 39 years Myles’ Pizza Pub shutting down at the beginning of October. In Hamilton, after 102 years Milillo Grocery was suddenly shutdown for not being in compliance with current state health and city building codes, despite a waver for ‘grandfathered’ businesses. The third generation owner says city and state administrators are singling him out: “They’re considering me a new owner even though I’m the third Frank Milillo to stand behind that counter in the last 102 years. They consider this a new business.”-Frank Milillo
Oregon: After 53 years restaurant Der Rheinalnder was sold and the new owners are shutting it down at the begining of 2017. Grower owned fruit packer Tree Top shutting down their Woodburn operation in January 2017, 60 people losing their jobs because the factory supposedly isn’t effecient (which is a bogus excuse because many employers have laid off employees precisly becasue they became too efficient, as I’ve pointed out in past postings). The Dairy Queen in Gold Beach shutdown, the owners are building a new Dairy Queen in the town of Brookings and say updating the Gold Beach location is too expensive: “If we weren’t trying to build the one in Brookings right now, we’d try to figure out the financing and do the remodel.”-Bart Burroughs
Pennsylvania: In Lancaster, after four years employee owned The Seed cafe shutdown due to “a variety of concerns”. Pepsi shutting down their Reading distribution center, 95 jobs lost by November. In Levittown the Big Q BBQ suddenly shutdown, the owners consolidated several of their restaurants. In York Haven, Hummingbird Ridge Winery shutdown, the owner has a full-time job and apparently making and selling wine part time isn’t worth the effort.
South Carolina: In Myrtle Beach, the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in The Market Common shutting down due to increased competition.
Tennessee: Local news reports revealed that not only did Florida based World of Beer shutdown its Chattanooga location without warning last month, but it failed to pay the employees final paychecks, and even walked away with their tips: “I depend on this income. …how I’m going to make money in the next couple of weeks? ….it was so sudden.”-Jenison Owens, who says World of Beer still owes two weeks of pay plus tips customers made using their credit cards
Texas: The Kettle Restaurant in Killeen shutdown after 36 years, the property was sold. San Angelo based Logan’s Roadhouse now bankrupt busted and shutting down at least 21 of their restaurants due to a 9.9% drop in revenue this year. In Longview, the Waffle Shoppes of Texas shutting down by the end of October, after 40 years of Belgian style waffles. The Highland Village Kroger shutting down in November, 80 jobs lost due to crashing sales. Zio’s Italian Kitchen chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Administrators blame the oil industry BS for crashing sales.
Vermont: In Lyndonville, Phat Kats Tavern shutdown.
Virginia: Food Lion shutdown one of their grocery stores in Martinsville saying it wasn’t worth it to renew the lease, 35 jobs affected. Despite using illegal employees and continuing taxpayer subsidies, U.S. farmers also benefit from 31st Farm Aid concert in Bristow.
Washington DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reducing allowable levels of dangerous atrazine weed killer used on food crops. Chemical addicted farmers are complaining it will effectively ban the use of most weed killers. 
U.S. Department of Labor confirms that more than 50% of farm workers are in the U.S. illegally! Blame farmers who bemoan that there aren’t enough cheap-ass illegal workers for U.S. businesses! On top of that, U.S. taxpayers are again being raped to subsidize farmers with the Urban Agricultural Act of 2016: “This legislation offers services and support to urban farmers. The research component of the bill is not only critical for production, but also for exploring the risk management, food safety, environmental and economic factors that are critical for economic success.”-Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation
Wisconsin: After only five months that restaurant with the ‘racist’ sounding name, Hibachi Boy, shutdown. The owner would only say that it was “a difficult but necessary decision.”
Food Crisis August 2016: ALBERTSONS MAKES “BILLIONS IN PROFITS” YET PAYS EMPLOYEES WELFARE WAGES!
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification