Bennigan's: Chapter 7
 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/07/28/daily17.html

11 Bennigan's in the Denver area closed yesterday; at many locations even unknowing employees showed up for work only to find locked doors with notices hastily taped on them; no notice at all. Very interesting! So, while thousands of Bennigans employees rush to find new jobs, a few Bennigan's execs move their office down the hall to Ponderosa. Yay, America.

http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=96673


The news came Tuesday morning when a Denver-area general manager explained to 9NEWS that he was called by the Colorado state manager and told to lock the doors.

Bob Stroh, general manger of the Bennigan's at Hampden and South Wadsworth, says he was informed of the nationwide closure at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, then had to turn around an inform 55 employees they no longer had jobs.

"It's a little tough. Some of the employees have been with me for more than 10 years," said Stroh. "I have some that have been at other stores with me before I was at this location and they're very kind and they immediately thought of myself and my family before themselves, which is even more emotional."

Stroh's location now has a hand-written sign posted on its front door indicating the restaurant is closed, and several customers were turned away. Stroh says his location is the second busiest location in Colorado, serving about 500 people daily.

Even the restaurant's vendors were unaware of the closure as a Sam Adams beer truck arrived with a delivery, only to be turned away as well.

The public relations firm for Bennigan's, BizCom Associates, released the following statement hours after initial reports surfaced:

"S & A Restaurant Corp. and certain affiliates have filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code.

They just closed our local one. And one burned to the ground last night in Clearwater.

Coincidence, I'm sure. :)

Never rely on a large corporation to fill your belly.

Maybe the model of large restaurants filled by hungry hordes getting there in the SUV is coming to a close..

Change is the constant. We have lost better things in the U.S. of A in the past..

Not sure what you're getting at. I guess I just had a weak moment of empathy for the couple thousand waiters, cooks, and bartenders who thought they had jobs yesterday. They'll be fine.

Me? I didn't like broccoli bites anyway.

See, now THIS should be illegal. THIS is something the gov't should get involved in. These company's should be compelled by law to GIVE FAIR AND DUE NOTICE when they are about to close.

It's total Edited - language removed, Z-man

I can certainly sympatize with the people who lost their jobs but I thought the restaurant was terrible.

Starbucks, Hooters, Bennigans... who is next?

At least starbucks had the decency to give plenty of advance warning to it's people and investors.

I guess i need to re-evaluate my opinion of them.

I'm thinking pretty hard and not sure I have ever eaten at one.

I feel bad for the employees, hopefully other local eateries will pick up the extra business and need to hire them.

I have pretty strong feelings against the mega stores and chain restaurants putting all the mom and pops out of business. I go out of my way to eat at hole in the wall restaurants or go to an old fashioned hardware store when I can find them.

Back up. Who the feck eats at Bennigan's?

In the last 10 years maybe twice.

It used to be the place to go back when I was in my early 20's and on the party scene, a good way to start the night.

Now, I too seek out the small places to eat, we have a chain of wing joints in town I love to go to, while they are a chain they began here and I have been going to them for the last 10 years when there was only 1 store.

That's rough...
Bennigan's was my favorite crappy chain restaurant when I was going to school in Michigan (read: Flint was lacking in culinary quality and diversity). Too bad this couldn't have happened to Applebees or TGIFridays instead. I hate those two with a passion.

A friend of mine got a TGIF gift certificate so offered to buy me dinner, we were greatly underwhelmed.

On the other hand on a work trip to Tampa had lunch at an Applebees and it wasn't too bad.

Thursday I'm going out for dinner at Lucile's, a local BBQ joint that has started to open more restaurants all over but I still think they make the best ribs I have ever had.

I agree that it's a total sham for the employees to learn of their job loss this way...I guess thems be the breaks! SPINELESS! I'm not at all surprised, though. It was/is a crappy restaurant and all of the locations I knew of here and a couple in FL closed their doors long ago!

I always thought the waitress character, played by Jennifer Aniston in Office Space, reminded me of a Bennigan's type:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1217448313.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1217448323.jpg

I dunno, maybe it was more of a Fridays character...

Do people actually eat at Bennigans? :confused:

It's not just Bennigans, it's also Steak and Ale, which was a *relatively* classy place...

I never ate at a S&A, but I hung out in the lounge when I first moved to Miami. I lived for 3 or 4 months on beer, free Caesar salads and free loaves of bread that the waitresses would steal for me.

I never ate a Steak and Ale, either. LOL.

Whomever they are; not enough of them, apparently!