‘Brink Of Extinction’: U.S. food crisis, December 2018

Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns, emergencies, outbreaks and recalls for the month of December, 2018:

U.S. Marines and Seamen volunteer to make food for people at the Akshaya Patra, Unlimited Food for Children Centralized Kitchen in Visakhapatnam, India.

WARN=Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification

The new owner of Taco Bueno will continue shutting down restaurants, another 12 in Texas and Oklahoma

ALABAMA: Eastside Grille on Atlanta Highway suddenly shutdown

ALASKA: bridge to somewhere going nowhere

ARKANSAS: State soybean losses at $77 million

‘factory farms’ favored by USDA waiver

ARIZONA: Closing of Cafe Ga Hyang, one of best Korean restaurants in Phoenix, an unsolved mystery

Rockin’ R Ranch closing after 35 years

CALIFORNIA: Wholesale bakery Baked in the Sun issued a shutdown WARN for its factory in Vista, 211 jobs gone by the end of January 2019! Ace Beverage issued two layoff WARNs, 130 jobs in Los Angeles gone between January and February 2019! Also in Los Angeles, Mission Beverage issued a layoff WARN, 2-hundred jobs gone by January 2019! Italy based food service company HMSHost issued a layoff WARN for its ops in Oakland, 204 jobs gone by the end of January 2019! Best Food Produce and Kum Luen Produce shutdown operations in San Francisco. TreeHouse Foods suddenly shutdown its ops in Visalia, 243 jobs gone without warning! TGI Fridays issued a shutdown WARN for its City of Industry location, 46 jobs gone in February 2019. Legendary Baking suddenly laid off 75 people in Santa Ana.

Ventura’s Vagabond Coffee Shop closing after 52 years

InCahoots Dancehall and Saloon shutting down due to the land being sold for redevelopment

Pauline’s Pizza & Wine Bar, opened in 1985 and shutdown on 21 December 2018 because the owners were forced to sell the building

California politicians serve food to Army and Marines personnel guarding the border with Mexico.

COLORADO: Kroger announced it will shutdown its City Market in Grand Junction

CONNECTICUT: The Stand BBQ shutdown two days before xmas

After more than four decades Royal Fish and Chips suddenly shutdown, blamed on the the Lowe’s shutting down in 2010

After barely six months Teena’s Apizza mysteriously shutdown, local news media speculate that Stamford is cursed

DELAWARE: Jimmy’s Grille in Rehoboth being forced out by expanding booze store

Big Sky Bread Company shutdown after nearly 25 years: “I’m simplifying my life and business has changed a lot.”-Patrick O’Neill

FLORIDA: La Familia Cuban Sandwich Shop is set to close after 25 years

GEORGIA: After four years in a new location, iconic Smith Brothers Butcher Shop closing doors forever, ignorant customers thought all the new construction in the area would be good for old businesses, but that is never the reality (it’s used to be called Urban Renewal, now it’s called Gentrification, and it’s always bad for the long time local businesses and residents)

Panera Bread shutdown one of its three locations in Buckhead, local news media speculates it’s because of increasing rents

GUAM: At Anderson Air Force Base personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, British empire’s Royal Australian Air Force and silly-vilians packed 143 bundles of food, clothing and medical supplies, to be airdropped to 56 Micronesian islands throughout the Pacific.

HAWAII: Once-Thriving Hawaii Dairy Industry Is On The ‘Brink Of Extinction’

Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Logistics Squadron, delivers a meal to a disabled resident, as part of meal-on-wheels program Kalihi.

IDAHO: One of the last neighborhood markets, Roosevelt Market, shutdown, the news even “surprised” the landlords!

Idaho Farm Bureau policy priorities include wolves

Lost markets take toll on Idaho dairies

ILLINOIS: Kerry issued a shutdown WARN for its dry goods ops in Gridley, 113 jobs gone by mid-February 2019!

Without warning Save-A-Lot shutdown grocery stores in Rock Island and Milan “…due to no longer being able to operate at an effective level”

Schaumburg’s El Meson restaurant closing after 29 years, the owners blame it on increasing competition and their poor health

Protein bar company RXBar eliminating 40 jobs in connection to taking over Kellogg, and other acquisitions

INDIANA: Rochelle restaurant closing after 10 years due to the building being sold

After 30 years Ponderosa Steakhouse forced to shutdown when the landlord sold the land without warning

After six years Mystique Winery shutting down so the owners can spend more time with family

IOWA: After 42 years of pizza Scornovacca’s shutdown its East 14th Street location

KANSAS: Fire Wok shutdown after 33 years

KENTUCKY: Maloney’s Pizza & Wings shutdown two days before xmas, 15 jobs lost with only a week’s notice because “Essentially the business is declining and losing money.”

LOUISIANA: Hymel’s Restaurant shutdown without warning after 70 years, no reason given

Lava Cantina shutdown so the owners could focus on entertainment venues

Volunteers of America North Louisiana serve gumbo to homeless veterans during a Christmas party at the Safe Haven shelter in Shreveport.

MARYLAND: Paradise Donuts is now closed after selling-out to competitor Dunkin

Maines Paper & Food Service will furlough 106 workers in February 2019, due to ‘christian’ owned Chick-fil-A changing its supply chain model!

Donna’s Cafe shutdown after 19 years, the owners blame it on property developers bringing in more restaurants: “…developers turn to restaurants as tenants, and sometimes anchor tenants, when they open a space. That’s, in part, what’s fueling the increase in restaurants. They can’t get a clothing store or a shoe store in, so you see more restaurants.”– Alan Hirsch, co-owner

MASSACHUSETTS: Wilbraham based chain restaurant Friendly’s shutdown six restaurants across the ‘New England’ states, due to not being able to provide “the customer experience that we are working to create.”

Brio Tuscan Grille closure results in 48 layoffs

At Barnes Air National Guard Base, the 104th Fighter Wing collect cash and food donations for local charities.

MICHIGAN: After many name changes Elwood’s Restaurant (aka Tamolly O’Malley’s, aka Bubba O’Malley’s) shutting down

MINNESOTA: After 12 years Ole & Lena’s Pizzeria in Rothsay shutdown, the owner blaming it on employee problems and it just quit being fun: “I want to say, that having multiple stores does not mean you make more money. But it certainly meant more headaches.”-Shane Balken

After 30 years Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls shuts down, the owners revealing how hard it is to run your own shop: “We want to have some fun while we can. We’ve never been gone for more than a week at a time.”

MISSOURI: Due to events not related to business, the last frozen yogurt Orange Leaf in Springfield shutting down

Belgium/Brazil owned Anheuser-Busch eliminating 20 salaried jobs

Phil’s Bar-B-Q shutdown after 57 years in business

After 28 years J.F. Sanfilippo’s Italian Restaurant and Bar shutdown, possibly due to increasing competition, local news media reported more than 3-hundred eateries in the city’s ‘downtown’ area, with 12 new openings in the past two months!

NEBRASKA: Diversified Foods shutting down, more than 40 jobs gone by January 2019, the news was leaked by an employee who immediately got fired: “They said it wasn’t news, and my plant manager lost control on me, he screamed at me, used the ‘F’ word. About 10 minutes later, got called into the office, and they said ‘We’re going to let you go’.”-Bill Dawson

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Another Chili’s shutdown, this time in Nashau (the one on Amherst Street)

NEW JERSEY: Industrial food maker Conagra Closing Cherry Hill Office, 196 Layoffs Expected!

Conagra also issued a WARN for its Parsippany ops, 308 jobs gone in March 2019! Allied Beverage issued a WARN, 58 jobs in Mount Laurel gone in March 2019.

NEW MEXICO: Despite local news media calling it “beloved”, Buckhorn Tavern suddenly shutdown, no reason given

NEW YORK: Jersey Lynne Farms issued a shutdown WARN, 56 jobs gone by the end of March 2019. DJDatARLOnomad-Massoni (at Arlo NOMAD) issued a shutdown WARN for its NYC restaurant, 51 jobs gone by the end of January 2019. Hudson Hotel issued a shutdown WARN for its Hudson Bar. Washburn’s Dairy suddenly shutdown its ice cream ops in Gloversville, 34 jobs gone.

The Beeches Restaurant and Conference Center-The Inn at The Beeches shutting down after 70 years

Bayou Cafe in Glenville closing after more than 23 years

After more than 35 years bar and restaurant Uncle Tom’s shutdown

Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe closing at the end of January 2019: “It has simply become unsustainable for us to run a restaurant without pricing ourselves out of the market”-Matt Funiciello

Lombardo’s Restaurant closing after nearly 100 years

After 30 years Lindsey’s Country Store & Sweet Shoppe shutting down in January 2019

After more than 30 years popular Apollo Restaurant forced to shutdown by greedy landlord

Chip Shop and the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory both shutting down

NORTH CAROLINA: Allen & Son Barbeque quietly shutdown its Chapel Hill location: “There is a finite few left of us that really have the desire to do it right and they’re fading away. I’m afraid we’re going to lose the culture entirely.”-Keith Allen

Lowes Food will be closing after nearly 20 years of operation in Lumberton: “it is one of our underperforming stores, so we made the decision to not renew the lease”

NORTH DAKOTA: Upscale restaurant sued by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for firing pregnant employee

OHIO: After a social media sexism scandal, restaurant Terry’s Turf Club shutting down before xmas

Restaurant Inspirado suddenly shutdown, the owner said “it came down to a financial versus personal wellness”

OREGON: Marijuana pesticide contamination worries Oregon farmers

PENNSYLVANIA: Rebuck’s Meat and Cheese closing after 98 years, the owner said he was too old to continue and nobody wanted to take over the successful business

Bryn Mawr’s Biga Pizza And Beer Closing After Three Years due to disagreements between the co-owners

Murray’s Richboro Market (IGA/Shop-n-Bag) on 2nd Street Pike suddenly shutdown. Could have something to due with ongoing property renovations?

Harry’s Market closing after 73 years

Philadelphia based Capogiro Gelato-Capofitto pizzeria shutting down all locations after failing to recover from fires earlier in the year

After 45 years Loutsion Catering and Club Bistro II shutdown

PUERTO RICO: May Hold the Answer to Saving the Bees

RHODE ISLAND: Young Farmers Can’t Farm Without Land

SOUTH CAROLINA: After two and a half years, and despite being called popular by local news media, White Duck Taco Shop shutdown two days before xmas due to “financial problems”

SOUTH DAKOTA: After only one year Tawooki Mediterranean Chop Chop shutting down

H&I Grain now bankrupt busted because the stupid owner’s son was hedging commodities and lost millions of dollars of H&I’s money, now H&I owes local farmers $15-million!

TENNESSEE: Switzerland based Nestlé suddenly shutdown its controversial Red Boiling Springs water facility, 43 jobs gone without warning 118th Wing, Tennessee Air National Guard, assemble food-boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, for school children who might not get anything to eat on days school is closed because of bad weather (implying that many kids in Tennessee rely on school lunch programs to get fed).