Red Lobster Employees Face Unexpected Layoffs Amidst Chain’s Closures

Hundreds of people have lost their jobs after several Red Lobster shops in the Denver region abruptly closed their doors for good earlier this week.

Jessica Boguski is one of those former employees, having worked as a waiter at Red Lobster in Northfield for almost a year. She left work on Sunday night, saying farewell to her coworkers like she always did.

“Stay careful and see you tomorrow. “Everything was normal,” Boguski explained.

What she didn’t realize was that once she walked out, she’d never return.

“It was my last day at work,” Boguski explained. “It was everybody’s last day.”

She didn’t find out until approximately two hours before her shift on Monday when her phone lit up with texts.

“I believed someone had died. So I worried, like, what’s going on,” Boguski explained.

She checked her schedule and discovered that there was nothing there anymore. Her position as a server was terminated without prior notice from the employer.

She stated that everyone, from waitresses to management, couldn’t believe it.

“Nobody acted like they knew anything,” Boguski explained. “Like, if they did, nobody knew.”

Many Restaurants ‘Under Water’ Since Pandemic

When asked why such abrupt closures might occur, Colorado Restaurant Association President Sonia Riggs responded: “The truth in Colorado restaurants right now is that many operators are underwater.

They are dealing with continued labor shortages, unprecedented inflation, high interest rates, and additional regulations, all of which are impeding their ability to fully recover from the revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. As a result of these problems, Colorado experienced the nation’s highest restaurant inflation rate last year. This year, we’ve seen neighborhood restaurants close every week. A crowded restaurant does not automatically mean a successful business.”

Boguski, a victim of one of those closures, wishes she and her coworkers had received more notice.

“You can open your eyes one morning, go about your day, check your phone, and then your entire livelihood is gone and that was someone else’s decision,” she stated. “And that’s terrifying.” The Northfield Red Lobster is one of four that have closed in the Denver area this week, with the others at Lakewood, Lone Tree, and Wheat Ridge.

The restaurant’s parent business, Thai Union Group, has stated that its continuous shrimp promotion was a major contributor to the company’s $11 million loss last year.