Incomplete list of announced United States food supply shutdowns for the month of October, 2014: 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.
Alabama: Winn-Dixie shutting down five grocery stores by November, about 325 jobs lost! In Spanish Fort, after four years Tacky Jacks restaurant shutdown. The owners say their restaurant needs improvements which they can’t afford.
Arizona: After 46 years Baker Nursery shutdown. The family owners said they could no longer compete with ‘big box’ stores.
Arkansas: Commodity broker Turner Grain Merchandising now chapter 11 bankrupt busted. Farmers are now accusing the company of ripping them off by ay least $100-million USD. Lawsuits say the commodity broker never paid them for grain deliveries, the questions now are where is the grain and where is the money? Local reports say police have been cooperating with the FBI over a criminal investigation into the company, however the FBI refuses to comment.
California: In Hawthorne, evil Cerberus owned Albertson’s grocery store warned it will shutdown in November, 78 jobs lost. Kroger announced they’re shutting down yet another Ralph’s grocery store, this time in Santa Clarita in November. A Ralph’s in Oceanside is also being shutdown in November, 70 jobs lost. Kroger administrators blame Obama Care for increasing their costs of operations (via health insurance for employees), and they say the sales at the Santa Clarita and Oceanside Ralph’s can’t support those increased insurance costs. In Pleasant Hills, Save Mart announced their Lucky grocery store will shutdown in November, 65 jobs lost. Save Mart administrators blamed the “intense nonunion competitive environment”. In San Francisco, after 20 years the Eagle Donuts shop shutdown. The owner said her sales could barely handle the rent increases, but when the price of milk, sugar, and even minimum wage for employees went up, her donut sales couldn’t handle it anymore. Also in San Francisco, Ghirardelli Chocolates issued a WARN saying they will shutdown just three days after Xmas, 84 jobs lost. However, it’s supposed to be temporary. In Santa Clara, Bon Appetit Management issued a WARN saying they will shutdown in November, 97 jobs lost. In Modesto, Olam Spices issued a WARN saying they will kill off 242 jobs before Xmas! In Hollywood, after 32 years the iconic Cat & Fiddle restaurant shutdown by the greedy landlord: “Looks like the landlord would prefer a chain to move into this gorgeous building instead of having us here. The landlord lives out of town and doesn’t really know Hollywood. He just knows Hollywood is booming and he can get a heck of a lot more money.”-Ashlee Gardner, co-owner of restaurant
Colorado: In Steamboat Springs, after more than 25 years a Wendy’s burger joint shutdown. Apparently there were problems between the restaurant management and the property owners.
Connecticut: In Mystic, iconic Grossman’s Seafood store shutdown, the owners blamed “poor economic conditions over the past several years”.
Florida: In Fort Lauderdale, the franchise owner of The Melting Pot restaurant gave up and shut it down, 20 jobs lost. Administrators for The Melting Pot would only say that the franchise owner ran out of money. In Miami, another iconic bar shutdown. After 101 years (surviving the Great Depression and numerous recessions) Tobacco Road Bar being shutdown by the greedy property owner, who refuses to renew the lease. Jacksonville based grocery store operator Bi-Lo announced they are shutting down 23 Bi-Lo and Winn Dixie stores by November. That includes the stores in Alabama (mentioned above) and stores in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. At least 1-thousand food jobs lost! It’s blamed on Bi-Lo’s takeover of Winn-Dixie and Delhaize America grocery stores.
Hawaii: In Honolulu, after only two months the Beach Bum Cafe shutdown. The owners blame the bad economy saying their product was “…just priced too high for the market.”
Illinois: In Galva, after 18 years pet food maker All Feed Processing and Packaging shutting down. Apparently they’ve violated many OSHA workplace safety rules. In Buffalo Grove, after almost 30 years Winberie’s Restaurant & Bar shutdown.
Indiana: In Fort Wayne, after 38 years a Time Corners Pizza Hut on Covington Road shutdown due to crashing sales. In Newburgh, after 32 years the popular Pizza Chef restaurant shutdown.
Iowa: Six Des Moines area CherryBerry self serve yogurt stores shutdown. Apparently the self serve concept didn’t playout, as the owner said sales totally crashed since last summer. Farm equipment maker Deere (formerly known as John Deere) continues job killing, this time 462 people in Waterloo are now jobless!
Maryland: In Ellicott City, after 36 years the owners of the Shanty Grille (Crab Shanty) announced they will shutdown after Xmas. The owners called the bad economy a losing uphill battle.
Massachusetts: In Holyoke, Susan’s Cafe shutdown due to crumbling building foundation. The owners spent what spare money they had trying to fix the problem, as their insurance refused to cover the damage. (more proof insurance is a mafioso rip off)
Michigan: In Allen Park, the owners of The Daily Scoop ice cream and candy store announced they will shutdown in October. Administrators with Hiller’s grocery stores warned their unionized employees that “severe financial problems” could lead to hundreds of layoffs if a new contract isn’t agreed to. Hiller’s administrators directly blamed skyrocketing Obama Care insurance costs as a major contributor to their “severe financial problems”!
Minnesota: Minneapolis based food maker General Mills announced they will kill off as many as 800 salaried jobs by February 2015! These are on top of the hundreds of jobs killed by their shutdown of a cereal factory and a yogurt factory. Administrators of General Mills, the largest cereal maker in the U.S., blame the suck-ass economy for their crashing sales. Lakeside Foods announced it will kill 90 jobs at its Plainview factory in November. Administrators blame it on the loss of a contract with Hormel Foods.
Mississippi: Diammonium phosphate fertilizer maker Mississippi Phosphates now chapter 11 bankrupt busted, at least 200 jobs in limbo! It’s blamed on a shortage of raw materials, but reports say the company has also been in trouble with government environmental regulations.
Montana: In Kalispell, after 40 years the Sizzler steak restaurant shutdown, 25 jobs lost. Local news reports say the owner ran out of money. Evil Coca-Cola shutdown their Great Falls bottling plant, with little notice. Local news reports said that employees were threatened with the loss of their piddly severance if they went public with how many people lost their jobs. Coca-Cola administrators claim they will help some employees transfer to other bottling plants.
Nebraska: In Lincoln, after 25 years pumpkin and apple seller Sunwest Farms shutdown. The owners admit they sold out: “…we had an opportunity this spring, we had a buyer, and we took the money and ran…”-Steph Spangler, co-owner
New Mexico: In Albuquerque, after 41 years Dee’s Cheesecake Factory restaurant shutdown.
New York: In Flushing, Korean Plaza food store issued a WARN saying they will shutdown by December, 60 jobs lost. In Batavia, Alpina Foods laid off 32 people, without notice. Administrators blame it on the sudden loss of a major yogurt contract. In Long Island, after ten years the Communitea coffee shop shutdown, the owners saying “We have been unable to renew the lease…” In NYC, after 60 years iconic Smith’s Bar & Restaurant shutdown due to the rent being jacked up, employees were given a one week notice. In Buffalo, food processor Zemco announced they are shutting down in January 2015, at least 287 jobs lost! And the Pizza Plant restaurant shutdown because of the greedy landlord: “We couldn’t come to terms with the landlord on a lease.”-Bob Syracuse, owner
North Carolina: There’s no beef in Elizabeth City as yet another Arby’s restaurant shuts down. Turkey based food producer House of Raeford announced they’re shutting down their turkey cooking factory by Xmas, 400 jobs lost! Company administrators say the cost to process turkeys for grocery stores has skyrocketed 250% since last year, and they know customers are not willing to pay for it! House of Raeford is also killing their contracts with 140 turkey farms! In 2013 House of Raeford killed 1060 jobs, again because of skyrocketing operating costs! In Durham, after 37 years Leo’s Seafood shutdown. The old owners blame the skyrocketing cost of fish, saying “Fish used to be one of the cheapest meats you could buy, it’s not like that anymore!” By the way neither one of the owner’s name is Leo.
Ohio: In Solon, Switzerland based Nestlé laid off 100 Stouffers and Lean Cuisine workers! On top of that Nestlé administrators say another 200 jobs could be eliminated by November!
Oregon: After three years the owners of the Cosmic Soda & Candy Shop announced they will shutdown in time for Xmas.
Pennsylvania: O’Hara Township based Giant Eagle supermarket shutdown in-store child care service at 61 stores across Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Pottsville, after 51 years beer distributor Brewers’ Outlet shutdown by evil and greedy city planners. The owners said it was not their choice: “This has developed in a ‘perfect storm’ manner, and this development is not Brewers’ Outlet desire and completely out of our control.”-Liz and Bob Carl
Evil Pottsville city administrators decided to take the property from Brewers’ Outlet so that a CVS legal drugs pushing op could be built!
Texas: In Houston, after 28 years Van Loc Restaurant shutdown by evil city officials who approved a plan by greedy property developers to build a massive apartment and retail complex in the Midtown area!
Vermont: In Richmond, after 14 years the Bridge Street Cafe shutdown. The owner said “I’m an old man” and his even older mother wants to live in Florida.
Virginia: In Carytown, a second Dixie Donuts shop shutdown, the owners of the “best donut shop in Virginia” basically saying the economy can’t support all their store fronts, so they’re focusing all their efforts on their original store. In Fredericksburg, after six years the Pinkadilly Tea restaurant shutdown. The owner, a former worker in the mortgage industry, blamed it on crashing sales. In Manassas, after 49 years iconic Kline’s Freeze soft serve ice cream shop killed off by greedy property owner: “We have been informed by our landlord that the Kline’s Freeze property is being sold. It seems our little blue and white building, serving our loyal customers and friends for 49 years will be torn own sometime in 2015.”-James and Lorraine Kline Croushorn, shop owners
At least 4-thousand people protested the closing on social media!
Wisconsin: 90 people laid off by Associated Milk Producers in Portage. Operations are being consolidated to Ohio. Manitowoc Ice announced a second round of layoffs, this time 110 people will become unemployed between December 2014 and March 2015! CNH (aka CASE, International Harvester, New Holland) is joining competitor Deere and shutting down farm tractor production. 150 second shift employees will become unemployed on 01 December, at the Mount Pleasant factory!
U.S. Food Crisis, September 2014