Workers at Tim Hortons restaurants in New York and Maine were in for a surprise when they went to work recently: their locations were closed.
The Canadian chain apparently shuttered 21 locations in the states without giving workers much advance notice about the decision, Consumerist and Time Warner Cable News reported. Tim Hortons, however, didn’t clarify why the workers weren’t told about the decision.
“The place has a few people sitting eating lunch. It starts to clear out and leaves just me and my buddy left in the place,” said a customer to the Lewiston Sun-Journal. “The lights go out and we are told to leave because the place is now closed!”
“They should have let people know that there was a warning of a shut down date,” said an employee at a location in New York in an interview with Time Warner Cable News. “We should have not been told the day of.”
Consumerist reported that 15 locations closed suddenly in New York and six in Maine.
The chain issued a statement to Time Warner Cable News:
In line with our vision to deliver a great Guest experience while building and strengthening the Tim Hortons brand, we continuously review the performance of our restaurants. As we build the foundation for accelerated growth in the U.S., we have decided to close some restaurants in New York. We are supporting our Restaurant Owners in their transition and remain excited about the opportunities to expand the iconic Tim Hortons brand in the U.S.
We thank our guests, the restaurant Team Members and the Restaurant Owners
Fortune has reached out to Tim Hortons for additional comment.
