Lauren Halvorson said she just finished serving the restaurant owner and his wife with a smile on her face — as she did every Sunday evening for the past four to five weeks — when she got the word.
All of the staff at Stripers Waterside in Norfolk were abruptly told Sept. 1 by management that they were being let go, she said. This came as a complete shock to Halvorson and her co-workers, who she said are just like family.
Employees were led outside — so as not to disrupt in-house diners — and told the restaurant was closing its doors immediately, shutting down and they were all laid off, Halvorson said.
Known for its fresh-caught seafood, draft beer and water views, Stripers had been operating in a roughly 8,000-square-foot space at Waterside since late 2017. Its initial location in Manteo, North Carolina, is still operating.
WAVY-TV first reported the layoff and shutdown on Wednesday. Around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Stripers responded to media inquiries in a news release and confirmed the restaurant is closed temporarily and the goal is to reopen as soon as possible.
“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 business said in the release. “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.”
The employees are welcome to return when the restaurant reopens, said Kimberly Wimbish, who represents Stripers through her public relations firms, KMK Productions. Stripers employed 32 workers.
As of Thursday, online reservations through OpenTable were available on the Stripers website again in November.
News of a sudden layoff came as a big surprise to server Pamela Ortiz, who said she was still processing it all.
“It’s been a rough year economically for everybody already and having to take this loss is just horrible,” she said.
Ortiz, of Norfolk, said she heard she was without a job via a group text as she was in the hospital being prepped for kidney surgery. She started as a server in February and management moved her to a host position as she dealt with her health problems.
“I’m very grateful,” she said. “They took good care of me.”
Halvorson, a server, started at Stripers Waterside at the end of March. The Las Vegas native, who was not new to the service industry, was promoted to lead server after two months on the job.
“I really enjoyed being there,” she said.
Halvorson said she saw the owner pull the assistant manager into a boardroom for what seemed like a 20-30 minute meeting.
“He came out and the vibe was definitely different, almost somber,” she said.
Halvorson and Ortiz said they weren’t told the restaurant was remodeling when they were let go.
“Why would you want to get rid of a whole entire staff if you’re just remodeling?” Halvorson said. “I don’t want this to happen to anybody else if Stripers does reopen, and I don’t think there are enough laws to protect service industry workers who have the rug pulled out from underneath them.”
Stripers said in the news release that it understands “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.”
Customers expressed disappointment about the restaurant’s closure on Facebook.
Editor Tara Bozick contributed to this story.
Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com
