All Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill locations in the U.S. abruptly closed this week, blindsiding employees in New York, where one employee learned of the shutdown through social media rather than from management.
Claudia Akley, a bartender at the Colonie location, finished her Monday night shift at 11:30 p.m. and went home with no indication the restaurant was closing. The next morning, she discovered the chain had permanently shuttered all stores.
“I found out through Facebook after 19 years,” said Akley, who would have celebrated her 19th anniversary with the company in November. “I woke up, and I just was scrolling, and I saw another girl post… her mom went in for her shift or was going in and must have got a call. And I found out through Facebook.”…