After a two-week hiatus, seven Black-owned Popeyes chicken restaurants reopened Thursday after the owner reportedly experienced a cash flow problem.
After a two-week hiatus, seven Black-owned Popeyes chicken restaurants reopened Thursday after the owner reportedly experienced a cash flow problem. The stores, all located on the South Side, had been closed since March 4: 346 E. 95th St., 5401 S. Halsted St., 5541 S. Wentworth Ave., 111 W. 75th St., 818 E. 47th St., 7617 S. Racine Ave. and 300 E. 35th St. Several managers at the affected Popeyes, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the restaurants had to temporarily shut down because suppliers had not been paid so delivers were stopped. “Suppliers were not paid so they stopped delivering. That’s why we had to close down,” said one manager at the 47th Street location. The sudden closures left managers scrambling to deal with the workers. “He (the owner) ran out of money and couldn’t pay us,” said another manager who works at the restaurant on 95th Street. “Had we not opened soon, I was going to tell my employees to go file for unemployment.” Greg Cole, a district general manager for the franchised chain, told the Defender last week that the restaurants had been closed for “internal problems” but wouldn’t elaborate further. Cole also would not identify the owner. “I cannot divulge his (the owner’s) name at this time,” Cole said. “All I can tell you is he is Black and lives out of town.” ______ Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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