Imagine waking up, heading to work, and finding out you don’t have a job anymore—no warning, no explanation, just “we’re done here.” That’s exactly what happened to over 1,000 employees when Outfox Hospitality abruptly shut its doors. But instead of quietly moving on, these former workers are demanding justice.
From Big Dreams to Bankruptcy
Outfox Hospitality was supposed to be the next big thing when it launched in November 2023. A partnership between Foxtrot and Dom’s Kitchen & Market, the company aimed to blend a neighborhood café vibe with the convenience of a local store. But big dreams quickly turned into big trouble. By April 2024, just five months in, Outfox filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing crushing debt. The fallout was swift: all locations closed, and hundreds of employees were left scrambling.
The Fight for Fair Treatment
The real kicker? Outfox didn’t give its employees any heads-up before the mass layoffs, which is a big no-no under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN). This federal law requires businesses to provide at least 60 days’ notice before shutting down or letting large numbers of employees go. Instead of complying, Outfox shut down without warning, leaving its workers in the dark.