Seven Black-owned Popeye’s chicken restaurants suddenly closed last week with no explanation, leaving its employees and customers wondering what happened.
The stores, all located on the South Side, have been closed since March 4: 346 E. 95th St., 5401 S. Halsted St., 5541 S. Wentworth Ave., 111 W. 75th St., 818 E. 47th St., 7617 S. Racine Ave. and 300 E. 35th St.
Greg Cole, a district general manager for the franchised chain, said the stores were closed for “internal problems” and the restaurant’s owner is not local.
“I cannot divulge his name at this time,” Cole told the Defender. “All I can tell you is he is Black and lives out of town.”
Cole said the stores should reopen in the next week or two.
David Boone, operations manager for the seven restaurants, was unavailable for comment.
The restaurants employ a number of part-time workers, including students, and a few showed up for work not knowing the restaurants had been closed.
“I need my money because I have bills to pay,” said Karl Porter, 16, a junior at Dunbar high school. “Skipping out on us with our money is bad business. Now I know what it’s like to lose a job.”
Tiny Francis, 17, a junior at Corliss high school, said she needs her job so she can finish paying for her prom dress.
“I am suppose to be going on prom with my boyfriend in June and now I do not have a job to help pay for my dress,” she said. “There are no other jobs out here either.”
Both teens worked at the 35th Street location.
Customers were stunned by the unannounced restaurant closures too.
“Every Friday, I go to Popeye’s for lunch. I must have been waiting in the drive-thru for 10 minutes before a passerby told me they were closed,” said George Walker, 45, who frequents the 95th Street restaurant. “They could have at least put a sign in the window letting their customers know what’s going on.”
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Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The stores, all located on the South Side, have been closed since March 4: 346 E. 95th St., 5401 S. Halsted St., 5541 S. Wentworth Ave., 111 W. 75th St., 818 E. 47th St., 7617 S. Racine Ave. and 300 E. 35th St.
Greg Cole, a district general manager for the franchised chain, said the stores were closed for “internal problems” and the restaurant’s owner is not local.
“I cannot divulge his name at this time,” Cole told the Defender. “All I can tell you is he is Black and lives out of town.”
Cole said the stores should reopen in the next week or two.
David Boone, operations manager for the seven restaurants, was unavailable for comment.
The restaurants employ a number of part-time workers, including students, and a few showed up for work not knowing the restaurants had been closed.
“I need my money because I have bills to pay,” said Karl Porter, 16, a junior at Dunbar high school. “Skipping out on us with our money is bad business. Now I know what it’s like to lose a job.”
Tiny Francis, 17, a junior at Corliss high school, said she needs her job so she can finish paying for her prom dress.
“I am suppose to be going on prom with my boyfriend in June and now I do not have a job to help pay for my dress,” she said. “There are no other jobs out here either.”
Both teens worked at the 35th Street location.
Customers were stunned by the unannounced restaurant closures too.
“Every Friday, I go to Popeye’s for lunch. I must have been waiting in the drive-thru for 10 minutes before a passerby told me they were closed,” said George Walker, 45, who frequents the 95th Street restaurant. “They could have at least put a sign in the window letting their customers know what’s going on.”
______
Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
