Maitland is down another restaurant – and 25 employees are suddenly without a job – just as the holiday season kicks into high gear.
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The employees of Jaspers Bar and Grill, which until recently was called Teak Neighborhood Grill, said they found out they were unemployed through an email sent to them by their general manager Monday night.
The email came a day after the employees were told the restaurant would be closed on Mondays, and only Mondays, because that was the slowest night of the week.
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“All of us were super confused and extremely pissed off,” server Chelsea Proenza said. “I’m a mom of four. This is our livelihood. I have to work.”
It was a rollercoaster moment for Proenza and her coworkers. Weeks before, Maitland celebrated the sale and renaming of the restaurant by its new owners, who promised to turn the place around.
Teak had been experiencing declining sales, employees said and recalled being hopeful about the changes, which included breakfast on the weekends.
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Most importantly, employees said they were told their jobs were safe.
“I was kind of jumping on board, and I actually was trying to push other people to have faith in it,” Hayle Silva said.
WFTV reached out to the Sumter County-based owners through their other restaurants but did not get a response. The email sent to employees said the owners lost faith in the business and no longer deemed it viable.
Employees also said there were Christmas parties scheduled that had to be canceled.
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“They just kind of abandoned hope and went back to The Villages,” Stacey Rodriguez said. “I can’t imagine who wouldn’t be heartbroken losing their job two weeks before Christmas, especially when you have younger kids.”
Rodriguez said she was working odd jobs to make it through the holidays.
All three said they appreciated the community’s support, and said they hoped to receive their final paychecks before the end of the week.
“Just be careful who you work for,” Rodriguez said. “Not everybody is going to care if they put you in a situation where you’re struggling.”
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