Say goodbye to Big Boy.
The 5-foot cherubic, red-good child, which marked the landscape along Route 191, Bethlehem Township, has been on his way to a warehouse on the way to a warehouse somewhere in the midwest for 15 years after the restaurant was closed unannounced.11 Wednesday.
"We were open for breakfast and we received a phone call at 10 am stating that the doors lock," said Big Boy Assistant Manager Dave Sparrow.
No more cookies and sauce.No more freshly baked strawberry cushion.
The sound of the last dinner in the restaurant was part of a larger closure of chain eetings that all 12 big boys' restaurants closed on Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
Elias Brothers Corp.van Warren, Mich., The worldwide franchisor of Big Boy, has closed the state restaurants since December as part of a company that has reorganization, according to Anthony Michaels, newly mentioned CEO of Elias.
A news announcement issued on Wednesday evening said that the reorganization has been requested by the "highly targeted" financial position of the company since the end of 1999.
"There were problems due to the expansion of the company to St.Louis and Kansas City Markets," Release reads. "As part of this reorganization, the company closes its big boys restaurant on route 191. "
It could not mention that 11 other restaurants in the state were closed.
In December, Elias closed 22 big boys in Missouri and a handful of others in their home state Michigan.
Locally 25 employees lost their jobs. Libanon, Allegheny County and Clarks Summit, Lackawana County.
"The company dropped out and some stores needed redevelopment," said Michaels."This is really not something we would do."
Michaels said that the efforts of the company are busy finding new jobs for the displaced employees.
"Fortunately because of the low unemployment rate, the restaurant industry has a requirement for trained and qualified restaurant employees. It is our hope to move as many employees as possible," said Michaels.
Michaels confirmed that conversations are underway between Elias and potential buyers of the franchise and said that the streamlining was needed to maintain the financial viability of the remaining stores.
Today the company will empty the content of the restaurant to move trucks with Big Boy, which will start his fiber optic trip, as Michaels said, will probably lead to a different franchise.
"We just opened three stores in Arizona," said Michaels.
While the figures are changing rapidly, Elias Brothers has around 100 large boys' restaurants and franchises in the United States and more than 500 restaurants around the world.
Please contact Chuck Ayers
610-861-3634
chuck.ayers@mcall.com
