Here to Serve No Longer Here to Serve? (Atlanta, Dunwoody: 2015, insurance)

[glovenyc]

WTF???


Multiple restaurants abruptly close.

Atlanta-based Here to Serve Restaurants informed their staff at about 5 PM this evening that they are shutting down and that all restaurants will close. The news came as a shock to many in the restaurant industry, especially the nearly 1,000 employed by the group's ten Atlanta area restaurants.

As of earlier tonight, Here to Serve operated three Noche locations (Brookhaven, Virginia Highland & Vinings) two locations of Coast (Buckhead & Johns Creek) Prime, Shucks, Smash, Strip and Twist.


After receiving the news of their closure, I contacted each restaurant. As of 8 PM, six of the ten had either posted signage reflecting their closure or their phone rang unanswered.


I spoke with Christy Kirkland, formerly a bartender at Noche Brookhaven, who indicated she was informed of the closure by her General Manager at 5PM.


Twist at Phipps Plaza, Strip at Atlantic Station and Coast in Buckhead were the only three restaurants still open at 9 PM. Each restaurant indicated that tonight would be their final night in business.


Noche in Virginia Highland was the only restaurant that indicated they were not closing, but I think it may instead be a matter of the closure information not being disseminated properly.


Strangely, last month the group converted their Noche restaurant in Johns Creek to their Coast seafood concept. The restaurant had barely been open a month before closing tonight.


I attempted to contact a high level source at Here to Serve Restaurants whom I had just seen at last week's Taste of Atlanta. Multiple calls placed to this individual went unanswered.


Here to Serve Restaurants was started in 1996 with the opening of Prime at Lenox Square. Prior to that, Tom Catherall operated simply tom tom, a bistro, also in Lenox Square in 1993.


Here to Serve has been reducing their number of restaurants following last years divorce settlement that awarded the entire group to Tom Catherall's ex-wife, Leigh.


Last month Aja abruptly closed at One Alliance Center in Buckhead. This past May, Here to Serve shuttered Goldfish, their seafood eatery at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody. Late last year, the group closed its popular Shout restaurant at Colony Square in midtown.


One source with whom I spoke indicated that the company "didn't pay their payroll taxes for a YEAR"


A mystery "private investor" is reportedly interested in buying both Twist and Strip and reopening them.


No word on what if anything will be done for those still holding Here to Serve gift cards. Employees of the group indicated they are owed paychecks dating back at least two weeks.


As of 10PM the Here to Serve website has been updated with a message about the closures:


"We apologize for the inconvenience, we are working on reorganization. Hopefully we will be HERE TO SERVE you again soon!"


I visited Twist towards closing and witnessed a number of employees in tears, many shaking hands and hugging and many in total shock.
Napkins litter the floor following employee celebrations at Twist I spoke to a number of restaurateurs this evening who indicated they are eager to both hire affected employees and possible take over some of the former restaurants.


What are your thoughts on this series of closures? What do you think went wrong? What would you like to see open in place of the affected restaurants?


Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta: Here to Serve No Longer Here to Serve?

[afdinatl]

This is what happen after get married and divorced. Last year after the owner divorce his wife took a couple of his restaurants in their divorce and now this happened.

Tomorrow's News Today - Atlanta: 2015 Will Bring Big Changes to Here to Serve Restaurants

Be safe out there men

[CMMom]

Sounds like the ex-wife ran the business into the ground. Didn't pay payroll taxes or obtain workers' comp insurance? Oopsie. Now, all those people are out of jobs.

[flyonpa]

I guess the Ex-Wife will now be doing 3-7 in Federal Prison.

But it seem a little fast for the Fed's, unless its part of some plea deal to keep her out of Jail.

[Zanarkand A East]

I was planning to go to Noche on Monday night. Guess I should have read the news first!

[waronxmas]

The writing has been on the wall for a year or more now. I'm surprised they lasted this long.

[afdinatl]

AJA, Shout and Twist had some of the best happy hours and parties

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

This is what happen after get married and divorced... Be safe out there men

Originally Posted by CMMom

Sounds like the ex-wife ran the business into the ground.

Originally Posted by flyonpa

I guess the Ex-Wife will now be doing 3-7 in Federal Prison.

I have to get in the way of y'alls sexist party you're having over there, but "the ex-wife" was only awarded control of the restaurants less than a year ago; last December. If they didn't pay payroll taxes for a full year, "the husband" would have been involved in that, too.

[afdinatl]

Originally Posted by magnetar

I have to get in the way of y'alls sexist party you're having over there, but "the ex-wife" was only awarded control of the restaurants less than a year ago; last December. If they didn't pay payroll taxes for a full year, "the husband" would have been involved in that, too.

Stop being sexist. The divorce was the beginning of the crumbling of his empire.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by afdinatl

Stop being sexist. The divorce was the beginning of the crumbling of his empire.

I have no idea what you are talking about, but that's ok because I don't think you do either.