HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016 02-04 Old Country Buffet closes seven Twin Cities Restaurants - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal 2/5/2016 Old Country Buffet closes seven Twin Cities restaurants-Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal
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Old Country Buffet closes seven Twin Cities
restaurants
Feb 4, 2016, 4:15pm CST
Old Country Buffet closed seven restaurants
in the Twin Cities on Thursday, leaving the
rotl
restaurant chain with just three locations in
the metro.
The restaurants that closed were in Richfield,
It
West St. Paul, Roseville, Crystal, Woodbury,
Maplewood and Fridley.
NICK HALTER I MSPBJ
The remaining Twin Cities Old Country The Burnsville Old Country Buffet, pictured in
Buffets are in Burnsville, Coon Rapids and April 2014.
Maple Grove, according to an employee at
one of the shuttered stores who said he wasn't allowed to speak with the
media.
The closures were part of a nationwide shuttering of 74 Ovation Brands
restaurants, according to a news release from the South Carolina-based
company. Ovation was acquired by San Antonio restaurant giant Food
Management Partners last August.
"Since that time, we have continued to execute former management's
operating plan to stabilize and enhance the performance of the company,"
Ovation's Vice President of Business Development Peter Donbavand said in a
hftp://www.bizjournals.com/t\,vincities/news/2016/02/04/old-country-buffett-closes-twin-cities-restaurants.htmI?s=print 1/2
2/5/2016 Old Country Buffet closes seven Twin Cities restaurants-Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal
prepared statement. "However, based on ongoing assessments of individual
restaurants, it is necessary to shutter locations for the continued viability of the
brands and our employees."
Old Country Buffet started in Minnesota in 1983 and had 626 locations in 2008,
before twice declaring bankruptcy.
As of April 2014, the company staffed 125 back-office employees in Eagan.
Nation's Restaurant News reported that people in Eagan were laid-off in August
without severance, but couldn't confirm a total count. Ovation did not respond
to questions about the Eagan office.
Former Ovation CEO Anthony Wedo tried to revive the low-cost brand back in
2014, revamping all 12 Twin Cities locations — plus many more nationally —with
smaller portions, fresher food and higher prices.
Wedo departed the company when it was sold in August.
Ovation also has restaurants under the banner of Hometown Buffet, Ryan's, Fire
Mountain and Country Buffet.
Nick Halter
Staff reporter f
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
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