Employees of a Louisiana-based IHOP were left jobless as the restaurant abruptly shut down its operations. Discovering their employment status only upon arrival for work, the sudden closure left a bitter taste.
Shutting Down Without Prior Notice
No forewarning was given to the employees about the closure. Struck with an unexpected dilemma, the staff scheduled for the day was left with two options: either partake in cleaning up the store or return home.
Recent Changes and Financial Woes
Before the closure, the restaurant had modified its functioning schedule from operating 24 hours to regular hours. The sudden shift was not the only concern looming over the establishment. Reports have surfaced that the IHOP was four months behind on rent payment.
Providing authenticity to these reports, the General Manager of the Louisiana Boardwalk, Ashley Warner, confirmed the late rent payment.
Customer Dissatisfaction
Negative customer feedback seemed to be a common theme at this IHOP location. Customers frequently expressed dissatisfaction with the service, leaving unfavorable reviews on Yelp. The severity of the complaints led some reviewers to imply that the closure was deserved due to the poor service quality and overall conditions at the location.
Not an Isolated Incident
Interestingly, this incident was not singular to the Louisiana Boardwalk IHOP. It has been reported that within the same month, a West Hollywood IHOP also announced its closure to its customers via a voicemail message.
The West Hollywood closure's reason has not been made public yet. However, an employee hinted that it might be linked to business-related issues.