Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of May, 2018: 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.
ALABAMA: In Birmingham, after 32 years family illness (and crappy healthcare in the U.S.) forcing the owners of popular Silverton Cafe to shut it down and move back to Italy.
ARIZONA: Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar suddenly shutdown after only one year in the Tucson Mall.
CALIFORNIA: In Bakersfield, the “largest grower….of carrots in the world” Grimmway Farms issued a shutdown WARN, 201 jobs gone by July! Grimmway Farms administrators hope the shutdown is temporary. France based food service contractor Sodexo issued several shutdown WARNs, at least 252 Californians unemployed between now and the end of June! San Francisco based booze maker Campari America issued a shutdown WARN, 95 jobs gone by August. Crab Cooker laying off 60 people in Newport Beach at the end of July, supposedly temporarily. Sky Chefs issued a shutdown WARN for its San Jose ops, 78 jobs gone by July. Chow Danville suddenly shutdown its ten years old restaurant, local news media said no reason was given. Boyd Coffee issued a mass of shutdown WARNs, ten coffee shop locations across The (not so) Golden State shutting down in June. In Fresno, after 44 years DiCicco’s Italian Restaurant suddenly shutdown due to the owner’s ongoing struggle with cancer. Earl of Sandwich issued a shutdown WARN for its Anaheim location, 69 jobs gone by the end of June. After 20 years upscale and popular (with “hour plus wait times”) Bandera American Cooking shutdown its Sacramento restaurant, initial news reports said it was because the rent was increased, however, the property owners went public and swore they did everything they could to keep what’s been called a “cash cow” from leaving and that the restaurant’s corporate owners said the Sacaremento location was “not consistent” with their plans. In Los Olivos, only a year after being saved from foreclosure, and despite signing a new seven years lease, iconic Mattei’s Tavern shutdown due to lack of customers. In Berkeley, after almost 50 years upscale restaurant Hs Lordships shutdown, the lease is up and apparently other businesses are fighting over the space. Online food ordering company Munchery issued a shutdown WARN for its Gardena location, 82 jobs lost in July (Munchery shuts down operations in LA, New York and Seattle). In Saint Helena, after 30 years Terra shutdown its restaurant and bar locations, blaming lack of qualified workers caused by competition and lack of affordable housing for employees: “It is mostly about staffing. It is so difficult to find someone; there are so many more businesses opening, and housing is so limited and expensive.”-Lissa Doumani, co-owner
COLORADO: So much for legalized marijuana saving the economy, Way to Grow hydroponics chain now chapter 11 bankrupt busted due to a lawsuit and massive debts, including a past due $73-thousand USD state tax bill. Boulder Natural Meats now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, however, the owners claim it’s part of their plan to expand the business.
FLORIDA: With only a weeks notice, and no explanation, Crispers shutdown its Tallahassee restaurant. At the Orlando Airport, Flying Food Group laying off 86 people due to losing its contract with Jet Blue. Emeril’s of Orlando eliminating 108 jobs by July! FDC Vitamins-Nutri-Force Nutrition eliminating 276 jobs in Miami in July!
GEORGIA: In Columbus, after 13 years Ben’s Chophouse shutdown because the owner is tired of the long work days and wants to focus on family. After 14 years, restaurant Meritage Columbus gave a to weeks notice of shutdown due to the property being sold to a developer.
IDAHO: In Twin Falls, after ten years Moxie Java Tuscany shutdown, the owners say they’re trying a new direction.
ILLINOIS: Aramark issued a shutdown WARN, 198 jobs gone by the end of June due to losing a contract with Indian Prairie School District!
INDIANA: Indianapolis based Monarch Beverage eliminating at least 1-hundred jobs and shutting down its booze distribution ops in September! Company administrators blame it on politicians and wholesalers who’re opposed to their plan to distribute booze. In Mishawaka, the S&P Discount Grocery (aka Dents for Cents) shutdown due to the health problems of the owners. The owners said they were motivated to open their heavily-discounted-damaged-packaging grocery store ten years ago because “We noticed that people in line at retail grocery stores were just unhappy, angry and stressed out because you spend $50 and leave with two bags and you still don’t have anything to make for dinner.” (unfortunately it’s still like that)
KANSAS: Grocery store Dean & DeLuca suddenly shutdown its Town Center Plaza location as part of company plans to “focus on our core business in New York and our digital capabilities.”
KENTUCKY: The Lexington Jimmy John’s on South Limestone shutdown without warning, apparently due to lack of profits according to the manager of another Jimmy John’s (maybe there’s too many Jimmy John’s), local news media call restaurant shutdowns a “trend” as nine restaurants on the same street shutdown in the past year.
Prairie Farms shutting down its milk processing ops in Fulton, 52 jobs gone by the end of June, no reason given for the shutdown (probably due to the dairy industries massive losses due to low global milk prices).
LOUISIANA: In Alexandria, after almost 40 years Julia’s Mexican Restaurant shutdown because of a sudden reduction in customers, the owners said many of their daily customers stopped coming in.
MARYLAND: In Hagerstown, Thunder Road Bar & Grill suddenly shutdown after the owner ‘surrendered’ his booze license, due to being accused of refilling used booze bottles with illegally purchased booze!
MASSACHUSETTS: In Milford, after 51 years Ray & Dick’s Bakery shutdown, the family owners said they don’t want to end up like their father; too old and sick to enjoy retirement. In Fitchburg, coffee roaster and cafe Chaibo Coffee and Tea House shutting down, possibly due to violations of city building codes, or possibly due to lack of employees, as speculated by local news media. In Belmont, short lived Foodie’s Market shutdown without warning, a sign was on the door saying “Thank you for the support over the past year…..Foodies is closed.” The corporate owners told local news media they blame low sales on a false perception by consumers that their prices were too high.
Garelick Farms shutting down its dairy ops in Lynn, 3-hundred jobs lost due to milk prices being too low! Ignorant city administrators blamed low prices on a “nationwide decrease in milk consumption.” (it’s called globalism, capitalist global commodity markets driving prices down artificially)
MICHIGAN: France based Sodexo issued a shutdown WARN, 34 jobs gone by the end of June due to losing a contract with College of Creative Studies/Argonaut.
MINNESOTA: In Saint Paul, after a little more than five years restaurant Ward 6 Eastside shutdown, the owners saying “The sad fact is Ward 6 has had a difficult time financially for the past couple of years.” Also in Saint Paul, after 27 years Fern’s Bar & Grill (aka Fabulous Fern’s) shutdown, the owners went bankrupt in 2017 due to lack of sales. In Duluth, Iron Mug Coffee House shutdown because the owners are making more money with their custom carpeting ops. In Thief River Falls, Texas based Dean Foods issued a WARN, 110 jobs gone, date yet to be determined!
MISSOURI: Shop-n-Save shutting down its Maplewood grocery store, 95 jobs gone in June due to not being able to renew the lease.
MONTANA: In Bozeman, after 130 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Voss Inn Bed & Breakfast shutdown and for sale: “Now it is pathetic. Airbnb has really cut a chunk out of our market.”-Frankee Muller, co-owner
NEBRASKA: In Omaha, after eight years Crave suddenly shutdown its Midtown Crossing restaurant due to not being able to renew the lease. Akin’s Natural Foods shutting down two locations, by the end of June according to a store manager, no reason was given.
NEVADA: In Las Vegas several restaurants shutting down; Carnevino Italian Steakhouse, B&B Ristorante and Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria, hundreds of people unemployed as a result of the owner’s sex scandal!
NEW JERSEY: Popular Thailand Restaurant in Clark shutting down after almost 20 years, the owners are too old and tired to keep it going, their adult ‘American’ raised children admitted to local news media that they didn’t have the skill (apparently all the food is made from scratch in-house) to take over the family restaurant.
NEW YORK: Eden Ale House suddenly shutdown. In Watertown, after almost 20 years Sandy’s Luncheonette shutdown, the owner blamed increased competition and increased costs of food, minimum wage, utilities and insurance. In NYC, after 116 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) Glaser’s Bake Shop shutting down in July, the brother owners say “we’re gettin’ old.” Umami Burger shutting down its Hudson Hotel location, 71 jobs gone by mid-July. In Poughkeepsie, restaurant/sports bar Tilted Kilt suddenly shutdown after only two years, officially saying “Due to the economic downturn, we are closing the pub permanently…” In Thompson, after 32 years Blue Horizon Diner shutdown, to be replaced by a bank. The owner of the diner said the bank made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. The Jackson Heights IHOP shutting down, 53 jobs gone by the end of August due to not being able to renew the lease. Trans-Packers Services issued a shutdown WARN for its Brooklyn-NYC food packaging ops, 105 jobs lost to New Jersey in July!
NORTH CAROLINA: In Burlington, once popular but now dead Stokely’s BBQ officially chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Local news media said that last year the owners had plans to expand due to booming sales and bankruptcy document show they were making profits in 2017, but for some unknown reason sales crashed big time during the first four months of 2018. In Raleigh, the 50 years old Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop shutdown so the owners can retire.
NORTH DAKOTA: In Minot, after 14 years Sevens bar and Restaurant shutdown due to a sudden crash in sales, probably as a result of a nearby motel shutting down in February.
OHIO: In Akron, Fairlawn’s West Point Market now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, partly due to delays in city permitting for constructing a new on-site bakery.
OKLAHOMA: In Tulsa, after 78 years Ann’s Bakery shutting down in July, the current owner blaming it on a death in the family and that “the town has moved south”.
OREGON: In Portland, after more than 85 years (surviving The Great depression and numerous recessions) Sunshine Dairy now chapter 11 bankrupt busted and being sold to a competitor. Evil vulture capitalist Cerberus Capital owned, Idaho based, Albertsons-Safeway suddenly announced the shutdown of the Jantez Beach Safeway, 75 jobs gone by June.
PENNSYLVANIA: In East Allen, California based Trader Joe’s reduced its contract with transportation contractor NFI, resulting in at least 261 people losing their jobs in July! In West View, after more than 30 years Townsend’s Sweet Shoppe shutdown due to the death of the owner. After more than 40 years filling up University of Pittsburgh students, Peter’s Pub shutdown because the owners want to retire. Rivertowne Brewing, which operates four pubs, now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, the owners blaming “decisions of the past”. Evil vulture capitalist Cerberus Capital owned, Idaho based, Albertsons-Safeway suddenly announced the shutdown of two Acme Markets grocery stores in Montgomery County, by June.
SOUTH DAKOTA: After ten years popular restaurant View34, and Pub34, shutdown, on facebook the owner blamed “lack of labor”.
TEXAS: In The Woodlands-Houston, Bloomin’ Brands-Bonefish Grill and 14 years old burger joint Culver’s both shutdown. The owner of Culver’s said they couldn’t renew the lease. Bloomin’ Brands gave no acceptable reason for shutting down Bonefish Grill calling it a “business decision”.
VERMONT: Struggling coffee company Keurig Green Mountain suddenly laid off 53 people, as part of ongoing efforts to regain profitability.
WASHINGTON: Seattle based online cooked meal delivery company Peach suddenly laid off 33% of its employees, blaming it on a “sales experiment”. Evil vulture Cerberus Capital owned, Idaho based, Albertsons-Safeway shutting down two Seattle area grocery stores (a Albertsons and a Safeway) in June claiming that no matter what they did the stores just can generate enough profits to keep the vulture capitalist investors happy. Another reason is that city imposed regulations have increased operating costs: “As a result of the implementation of a series of regulations in just the past three years, our city stores have experienced over a 10% increase in operating expenses. Due to the fact that we are a mainstream grocer with the primary purpose of holding down prices to provide value to customers in all of our locations, we are not able to adjust to additional expenses simply by increasing our prices.”
WISCONSIN: In Madison, after three years Red Elephant Chocolate shutdown its brick-n-mortar store to focus on special events, wholesale and internet deliveries. Hall of Fame Chophouse shutdown its 17 years old Green Bay location, apparently its being replaced with a new concept restaurant.
WYOMING: In Cheyenne, the Candy Store Emporium Museum shutdown due to the landlord reneging on the two year lease option.
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification
U.S. Food Crisis, April 2018:“WE’RE TIRED AFTER SEVENTY YEARS OF SEVEN DAYS A WEEK!”