NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Stripers seafood restaurant at Waterside in Norfolk abruptly closed its doors this week and laid off its staff without a warning or an explanation, workers say.
Stripers’ website still shows no changes, but its Facebook page says it’s now “permanently closed.”
Though the closure doesn’t appear to be permanent, 10 On Your Side learned Stripers, which opened at Waterside in 2017, plans to reopen next month, seemingly with a brand new staff.
Two workers who spoke to 10 On Your Side on Wednesday said they were blindsided by the move.
Lauren, a lead server, said the staff was told Sunday night that the restaurant would be closing effective immediately and that they were all being laid off. It came about 30 minutes after ownership met with managers, Lauren said.
“We were all left jobless with no warning,” Lauren said. “No time to prepare. We weren’t asked to sign any termination paperwork, nothing of the sort. We were just told not to return on Wednesday because they were going to be closing, which from my understanding, that meant permanently.”
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Lauren says when someone who’d been on staff called and tried to made a reservation, they learned from someone on the other line that Stripers was closed for “maintenance” and that they planned to reopen in October.
“I’m guessing they just wanted to get rid of the whole staff. I’m not really sure why they would do that, but they didn’t give us like a day warning or anything,” said Pamela Ortiz, who worked as a host at Stripers for several months. She was in the hospital at the time and learned she was let go through text message.
Both workers said it’s weird because nothing really seemed out of sorts in the months ahead of the announcement, and that the staff of 35-40 felt like a big family. Some had worked at Stripers for years.
Lauren believes that the management team was the best she’s had in the business.
“We were all literally like family there, which is why it’s so upsetting too,” Ortiz added. “We have a bunch of team members that need this job, or needed the job.”
Lauren says the blame lies with ownership.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the owner’s business practices and highly encourage everybody to know what happened. Because it could happen to them if they choose to be employed by them.”
WAVY reached out to Stripers at Waterside and its other location in Manteo for comment. They released a statement through a public relations spokesperson. In it, they say they are “unable to provide specific details due to an ongoing investigation by authorities,” and that “management issues and possible malfeasance played a role” in the recent closure.
Here’s the full statement:
Dear Valued Customers and Community Members,
We at Stripers Waterside want to take a moment to address the recent news surrounding the closure of our restaurant. While we are unable to provide specific details due to an ongoing investigation by authorities, we want to acknowledge that management issues and possible malfeasance played a role in this decision.
The closure of Stripers Waterside was not a decision taken lightly. Unfortunately, damage that occurred necessitated the immediate closure of the restaurant. We are currently undergoing remodeling and renovations to address some of these issues and improve our facilities for our loyal patrons.
We understand the concerns raised by our employees regarding the lack of communication and uncertainty surrounding their employment status. We want to assure them and the community that we are working diligently to address these issues and ensure fair treatment for all employees.
Our goal is to reopen Stripers Waterside as soon as possible, with a renewed focus on providing exceptional service and dining experiences. We appreciate your continued support and understanding during this challenging time.
Thank you for your patience and loyalty.
Stripers Waterside