PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — All but one of the McMenamins locations in Oregon and Washington will close “for the next several weeks” and nearly 3,000 employees were laid off, company officials said in a statement to KOIN 6 News.
The only McMenamins location to stay open is the 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop, and that will only be open for to-go sales.
“It’s taken a lifetime to build this company, together with the help of our employees and customers. This is something none of us ever could have anticipated. After exploring all options, we are laying off nearly 3,000 employees – almost everyone at the company – effective today, March 17,” the statement from Mike, Brian and the McMenamin family said.
Closing their locations allows their employees to file for unemployment benefits and “ensure that there will be jobs to come back to when this extraordinary episode ends.”
“And we are confident it will end. Until then, we thank you for your support and understanding and look forward to gathering with you again soon.”
Just a week prior, the restaurant chain was gearing up for St. Patrick’s Day and the countless patrons who would celebrate the holiday at several McMenamins locations around Oregon.
Jeremy Field with the Small Business Administration told KOIN 6 News federal disaster loans will be available to Oregonians when the governor requests the assistance. Until then, business owners can find other lenders on the SBA’s website.
“You can get lines of credit you can start using immediately,” he said. “You can get microloans as low as $500 to loans as high as $5.5 million.”
Business is booming for some
And while many businesses languish under the absence of customers, other stores are so busy that they need to hire more employees.
Safeway and Albertsons are looking to immediately fill job openings for in-store and distribution center roles and home delivery drivers. You can apply online. Fred Meyer also has immediate job openings available. Click here to learn more.
New health facility restrictions announced, more likely coming
Oregon restricts restaurants, limits gatherings to 25 people
KOIN Complete Coverage: Coronavirus
Fourteen new cases of coronavirus were confirmed Tuesday in Oregon, raising the statewide total to 65.
The Oregon Health Authority announced a total of 18 new cases, including four that had already been reported on Monday.
Of the newly-announced cases, four are in Clackamas County, one is in Linn County, one is in Marion County, one is Multnomah County and seven are in Washington County, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
KOIN 6 News will have more information later in the day.