Hometown Buffet employees leave restaurant with final paychecks

Andrea Chavez showed up to work Tuesday afternoon at Hometown Buffet in Merced and learned what many had feared – the restaurant was closing and its several dozen employees were out of jobs.

“It would’ve been nice for them to tell us ahead of time,” Chavez, now a former kitchen manager, said. “For some people, this is their livelihood, and they depend on this money.”

The first signs of trouble for the Merced eatery surfaced Sunday with a sign posted on the front door informing employees and customers that the restaurant was conducting an “asset inventory.” Chavez, 23, said she showed up to work at 10 a.m. on Sunday and, to her surprise, was told to go home and to return to the restaurant on Olive Avenue on Tuesday for “further instructions.”

Movers were seen Monday morning placing restaurant equipment into large U-Haul trucks and vans.

Then news broke Monday afternoon that Buffets LLC, which owns Hometown Buffet, had filed for bankruptcy.

The corporation owns numerous chain restaurants, including Hometown Buffet, Ryan’s, Fire Mountain, Country Buffet, Old Country Buffet and Tahoe Joe’s Famous Steakhouse. The bankruptcy came after the company faced legal judgments and other debts.

Several Hometown Buffet locations throughout the state reported closing before Merced’s, and the chain faces a state investigation on allegations it didn’t give employees proper notice of the closures, various media outlets have reported.

Merced’s Hometown Buffet was open for about 20 years.

Though some employees on Tuesday were given the option to transfer to another location, many left with their final paychecks and instructions on how to file for unemployment. Many said goodbye to their former co-workers, exchanged hugs, and some shed tears.

Chavez, who worked at the restaurant for five years, said she will pursue other opportunities and plans to move to Colorado.

The restaurant employed about 40 people, Chavez said.

Henry and Lucy Ortiz drove up to the restaurant as employees waited outside. Employees greeted the couple by name and shared the bad news.

Henry Ortiz said he and his wife have lunch at the Merced restaurant nearly every day after he receives dialysis treatment.

His favorite dish? “Almost everything,” he said with a laugh.

Ortiz said he hopes the restaurant will be replaced with a Golden Corral.

Most of all, the Ortizes will miss the staff.

“All of the employees are very dependable workers,” Ortiz said.

Lucy said she thinks a lot of families will miss family night on Thursdays. The restaurant had books for children to read, and sometimes employees would dress up.

“I think a lot of people are going to miss out,” she said.

Her husband added: “We’re very sad they’re going to be closing.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Hometown Buffet employees leave restaurant with final paychecks."