Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of April, 2015: 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, and spread of disease.
“We will have to develop stricter bio-security measures to eliminate any possible contact between migratory waterfowl…..and our commercial farms.”-Simon Shane, North Carolina State University, interviewed on Nightly Business Report about massive H5N2 outbreak
China, Republic of Korea (aka South Korea), Taiwan, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda have banned U.S. poultry products.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has banned imports of poultry products from Canada. The USDA implied the H5N2 outbreak in the U.S. might be linked to Canadian poultry. Taiwan and Japan have banned Canadian poultry.
U.S. based Albertsons-Safeway announced it will shutdown it’s King Edward Street warehouse in Winnipeg, Canada, by 2016. At least 172 jobs lost!
Bermuda based booze maker Bacardi announced it will layoff about 80 people in North America, including the United States. It’s blamed on crashing booze sales.
Arkansas: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.
California: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. Albertsons-Vons announced it will shutdown its Riverside La Sierra Plaza Vons and two Bakersfield Vons in May, because they are “not meeting company goals.” In Fresno, Charlotte’s BakerEatery sold to competitor Dusty Buns. After more than 50 years San Francisco’s iconic Capp’s Italian Dinners Family Style shutdown. The owners blame the greedy landlord and legalities with insurance for their closure. In Sherman Oaks, Jerry’s Famous Deli issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in June, 60 jobs lost. In San Jose, NYC Food and Beverage issued a shutdown WARN for June, 144 jobs lost! Seafood supplier Prospect Enterprises issued multiple WARNs saying at least 130 people will become jobless in July! The seafood distribution ops of Prospect Enterprises were taken over by rival Santa Monica Seafood.
Colorado: In Denver, Texas based Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group announced they will shutdown the 15 years old Wazee Street Sullivan’s Steakhouse at the end of May. They do not want to renew the lease.
Connecticut: The Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group shutdown two steak restaurants, one in Waterbury and one in New Haven. At least 70 jobs lost. The Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group blames Mother Nature, ongoing road construction and the suck-ass economy: “The challenges of this relentless downturn of our fragile economy, in addition to Phase I of road construction that lasted approx 28 months on Chase Avenue, directly in front of my Waterbury Steakhouse, has caused me a tremendous hardship and substantial unrecoverable financial losses. Phase II of this road widening construction has started up again in April 2015 and is projected to last approximately another two years or more to complete this project. I cannot afford another two years of substantial losses. These challenges alone were very difficult to manage but adding this year’s disastrous winter was the last straw that I could not overcome. January, February and March are normally difficult months but this year’s extremely cold weather and snow storms, most of which fell on weekends where I do 30 to 40% of my sales, was devastating.”
Florida: Albertsons issued a WARN saying they will shutdown their Clearwater grocery store in May, 86 jobs lost. After 40 years the Siesta Market shutdown in Sarasota. In Niceville, food service company Sodexo issued a WARN saying 176 people will become unemployed in June!
Idaho: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. State administrators deny the reports.
Illinois: Oak Brook based McDonald’s crashing & burning in the U.S. of A! McDonald’s administrators report their profits fell $400-million USD during their 1st quarter of 2015, their biggest profit decline ever! As a result they will begin shutting down hundreds of U.S. restaurants! And in Japan McDonald’s is crashing & burning as well. Administrators say the economy is so bad in the east Asian country that they expect to lose between $210-million to $318-million USD by the end of the year (at least triple their losses last year), so, they will shutdown 131 Japanese stores, more than 1-thousand jobs affected, and they will layoff about 1-hundred jobs at their Tokyo HQ! They blame logistical problems getting reliable food! Globally, McDonald’s says they will shutdown a total of 7-hundred stores this year! In Normal, That’s So Sweet cheesecake shop shutdown, the owner blamed it on her pregnancy which made it difficult to commute to her Normal store. In East Saint Louis, grocery store Schnucks shutdown on State Street. Company administrators refused to explain why. Central Beverage issued a WARN saying 124 employees are now unemployed! It’s blamed on the company’s takeover by Lakeshore Beverage. Airline food supplier Flying Food Fare Midway issued a WARN saying 32 people will become jobless in May. In Old Irving Park, Mirabell German restaurant shutdown after 38 years of operations, apparently due to the death of the chef.
Indiana: Administrators with Marsh Supermarket announced they will shutdown stores in Lafayette, Mooresville, Fishers and Indianapolis! They claim the grocery stores “do not meet our business requirements regarding sales or future growth potential”.
Iowa: 5.3-million laying hens will be culled due to an outbreak of H5N2, 3.8-million have already died! Iowa is the largest supplier of chicken eggs to the U.S. food market, gov’na Scott Walker declared a State of Emergency and called up the National Guard: “Anybody that has a poultry operation, whether large or small, whether you’ve got hundreds of birds or one bird, this should be a wake-up call!”-Randy Olson, Iowa Poultry Association
Kansas: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.
Massachusetts: The Look Restaurant shutdown in Leeds. The owner blamed the bad economy and rising costs of operation. At one time he had 17 employees, but by the time he decided to shutdown he had only five.
Minnesota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. As of 17 April, 1.7-million turkeys have died or been culled due to H5N2! Wild turkey hunters in five counties are being forced to turn in their kills. In Saint Paul, after five years Bars Bakery shutdown both of its stores. The owners say they need more family time.
Missouri: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. Grocery store chain Schnucks laid off 52 people, and eliminated eight open jobs, at its Saint Louis HQ. No explanation given. This comes weeks after administrators spent $1.69-million buying a property that they’ve rented for years. Administrators admitted they weren’t using the Saint Louis property for anything, and had no future plans for it!
Montana: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.
New Jersey: Freshcut Produce issued a layoff WARN saying 1-hundred employees will become unemployed in June! Company administrators blamed “economic reasons”.
New York: In Buffalo, Dug’s Dive shutdown. It might have something to do with the new landlord. In Wayne County, the Heluva Good! cheese factory and shop joining the exodus from The Empire State and moving to Wisconsin in June, 53 jobs lost.
North Carolina: In Asheville, booze maker Blue Kudzu Sake shutdown, blaming the crashing U.S. market for preventing them to “secure a large enough market share to make our operation profitable”. In Salisbury, famous Rick’s BBQ shutdown, the owner blamed his bad health. Raleigh’s last registered bed-and-breakfast, The Oakwood Inn, shutdown after 31 years. The owner blames “illegal” competition from internet company Airbnb saying “If I have to [be licensed], why don’t they have to do it? And if they don’t have to do it, then I shouldn’t have to!”
North Dakota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.
Ohio: Columbus based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams joined Blue Bell and recalled all their products! The state of Nebraska discovered the bacteria listeria monocytogenes in Jeni’s ice cream. In Montgomery, after less than one year Verde Salad shutdown for “personal and financial reasons”! In Short North, after ten years the Surly Girl Saloon shutdown, the owner indicated that demand for such a bar in Short North is crashing. New Albany based Bob Evans Farms announced they will shutdown 20 restaurants! After spending millions of dollars trying to improve their restaurants, administrators decided that at least 20 of them still weren’t “meeting expectations.” They said most of the failed restaurants were outside Ohio. Lancaster based EveryWare Global, owner of food preparation products companies Anchor Hocking and Oneida, is now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. They report overall sales crashed 17% in their 4th quarter 2014 (so much for Xmas sales). For the year they lost $4.87-million USD!
Oregon: Poultry industry hit by H5N2.
Pennsylvania: Snack maker Pepsi/Frito-Lay announced they will eliminate 7% of jobs at their Williamsport factory. It’s part of Pepsi’s ongoing plan to slash and burn operating costs (jobs). After more than 90 years (surviving the Great deflationary Depression) restaurant Cohick’s Trading Post shutdown. One of the co-owners turned evil greedy and actually sued the other co-owner to force them to sell the family business! In Lawrenceville, after six years the owner of restaurant Tamari announced it will shutdown in May, but promised to open a new restaurant in the future. After 65 years Del’s Bar & Ristorante DelPizzo shutdown. The family owners had tried to sell it for the past year, but nobody was interested, the owners say the bad economy sucked them dry: “It’s just time to go, we’ve got nothing left in us.”-Marianne DelPizzo
South Carolina: In Winston-Salem, the owners of New Town Bistro and Bar announced it will shutdown in May. They said it needs updates and in the current economy “it just didn’t make sense” to spend the money. The King Street Grille in the Citadel Mall shutdown: “Due to uncontrollable circumstances, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the King Street Grille as a company to close the Citadel Mall location.”
South Dakota: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. In Roberts County, 66-thousand 6-hundred turkeys dead from H5N2! In Sioux Falls, after 25 years Valentino’s restaurant shutdown. The owner said the restaurant business ain’t what it used to be: “This is such a demanding industry right now, and right now most people don’t realize we’re still ranked very high in the nation for restaurants per capita. So it’s gotten more challenging over the years, so it takes a lot. It takes a lot out of you.”-John Jones
Texas: Brenham based ice cream maker Blue Bell Creameries recalled all their ice cream across the United States! Company administrators claim they are being pro-active in fighting a listeria outbreak, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that ice cream made by Blue Bell has contained listeria for at least five years, beginning in 2010! The CDC also blames Blue Bell ice cream for three deaths this past year. Yet another cupcake shop goes down, this time in San Antonio. The owner of Kate’s Frosting Events announced she will shutdown her last cupcake shop in May. She shutdown another shop at the beginning of the year. Her reason is that she wants at least one day off per week. San Antonio based Food Management Partners shutting down 70 Carrows and Coco’s Bakery restaurants across Arizona, California and Nevada! Administrators blame the suck-ass economy: “The current market climate has forced us to make difficult decisions about many of our restaurants that are not performing at a competitive financial level.”
Utah: Cereal maker Kellogg Company (aka Kellogg’s) announced they are shutting down their Clearfield facility, at least 2-hundred jobs lost! It’s part of the company’s “efficiency and effectiveness program”. Idiotic and out-o-touch city officials say they’re confident “Another company will come in right behind, and we’ll still continue to have a lot of employment here in Clearfield.”
Virginia: In Arlington, after 28 years Mother’s Macaroons Bakery shutdown. The owner blames the death of her husband and the crashing economy saying “It was a series of things, and it hit me like a bag of rocks!”
Washington: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. It was discovered that the Safeway in Spokane Valley shutdown in March, 60 jobs lost. Company administrators said it was not due to the takeover by Cerberus controlled Albertsons, but that the lease expired and it wasn’t worth renewing it.
Wisconsin: Poultry industry hit by H5N2. In Barron County, 126-thousand 7-hundred turkeys possibly infected with H5N2! In Milwaukee, restaurant Nourri forced to shutdown after its chef and its general manager walked out. The owners blame frustrations with ongoing road construction that is killing off sales. Food service company Sodexo told state employment administrators that 3-hundred people will become unemployed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in June! Sodexo lost their contract.
March 2015: “…sales dropped off a cliff…”
WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification