PALESTINE —
Ryan’s restaurant in Palestine was closed for being an “underperforming” location, according to a Buffets Inc. spokesperson.
Ryan’s, located at 2800 Loop 256, closed its doors without notice Tuesday.
“Since Buffets Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings in January, they have been doing a review of all of their restaurants and are currently in the process of closing those that are underperforming,” Melissa Sheer with Buffets Inc.’s corporate communications firm Kekst and Company said Thursday.
Rumors have circulated locally for the past few weeks about the restaurant’s possible closing, but earlier media inquiries to Buffets Inc., Ryan’s parent company, were not returned.
“Employees were given severance according to company policy and based on their tenure,” Sheer said Thursday. “Some employees were encouraged to apply to other restaurants for other opportunities.”
A sign on the front door of the restaurant reads: “This location has permanently closed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we sincerely appreciate your patronage over the years.”
In January, Minnesota-based Buffets Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a second time since 2008, planning to close several of its “underperforming” restaurants. It is unclear if the Palestine location was considered one of the “underperforming” restaurants.
Generally, Ryan’s restaurant employs around 30 to 40 workers.
In addition to Ryan’s, Buffets Inc. has five other multi-unit concepts: Old Country Buffet, HomeTown Buffet, Fire Mountain, Country Buffet and Granny’s Buffet. Before the closures, Buffets Inc. had almost 500 restaurants.
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A sign on the front door of Ryan’s restaurant in Palestine informs customers that the location has permanently closed. MARY RAINWATER
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UPDATED: Ryan's restaurant closes in Palestine
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