A major restaurant operator and franchiser that has one location in Boston has shut down all of its outlets, and it has terminated its furloughed employees.
According to an article from the Restaurant Business website, CraftWorks Holdings, Inc., closed all 261 locations of its restaurants, bars, and breweries in late March, while subsequently firing nearly all of its workers who had been put on furlough at the time of the closures--and ending their healthcare benefits. The post mentions that CraftWorks filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early last month and while it had hoped to reopen its outlets at some point, an earlier post quotes the restaurant operator as saying in a court filing that "there are many preconditions to a restart, including the obtaining of financing, the hiring of staff, and the ability to create a coherent and profitable business plan....The shutdown could persist for a prolonged period [of] time, if not permanently." The closings apparently took place after a lender withdrew financing due to the "unprecedented and unforeseen outbreak of COVID-19," according to the filing.
The Wall Street Journal mentions that CraftWorks employed 18,000 people, with "most" of them being fired.
CraftWorks Holdings is behind such concepts as Logan's Roadhouse, Old Chicago, ChopHouse & Brewery, and Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, the last of which has a location on Stuart Street in downtown Boston. The website for CraftWorks can be found at https://www.craftworksrestaurants.com/
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
