Chevys closes in SLT without warning to workers

Updated Dec. 27, 5:40pm:

By Kathryn Reed

More than 30 people in South Lake Tahoe were abruptly without jobs when Chevys didn’t open today.

Sara Barker, spokeswoman for the chain, told Lake Tahoe News no advance notice was given to the workers. Dec. 24 was the last day the restaurant on Highway 50 served food.

A few people were in the restaurant Dec. 26 cleaning and getting ready to vacate. The smell of old grease and cleaning supplies permeated the dark interior. A regional rep was sent up from Sacramento to oversee the closure.

Chevys in South Lake Tahoe is closed. Photo/LTN

A sign on the door says the restaurant is closed. Scattered about the parking lot on Monday night were rack card size notices saying: “We have closed this location and apologize for any inconvenience.” Attached was a coupon for a free appetizer that expires in mid-January.

This was one of several underperforming locations that was closed by parent company Real Mex, which is based in Southern California.

“The Real Mex core business continues to improve and we’re preparing to integrate an acquisition into our existing business,” CEO Bryan Lockwood told Lake Tahoe News. “Although closing restaurants is never easy, the plan we have put in place strengthens the overall health of the company moving forward.”

Further details about the acquisition are not being disclosed.

Even though it was only a couple years ago that Chevys signed a 20-year lease, Barker said, “We have an amicable exit plan with the landlord.”

Before it was a Chevys for years it was a Carlos Murphy’s restaurant. Prior to that it was Lawrence’s Economy Store.

The future of the local employees remains to be seen.

“They were all offered positions elsewhere in our organization and a number of them have chosen to relocate,” Barker said.

The nearest Chevys is in Sacramento. Barker said they would not be entitled to relocation compensation. Most Chevys employ between 50 and 70 people; a mix of full- and part-timers, however, the South Lake Tahoe restaurant had closer to 30 workers.