9. My Favorite Steak Restaurant Is Closing All 261 Of Its Locations

In a desperate bid to stay afloat, Logan’s Roadhouse fired every employee and is set to close 261 locations. While many restaurants have switched to take-out and delivery, Logan’s decided it was better just to clear off their payroll and put people out of work rather than try to stay afloat during the worst economic collapse in American history. Logan’s Roadhouse is owned by the same parent company that owns Old Chicago, which is why it was decided by that large company, it would furlough all of its employees and their healthcare benefits just as people needed them most.
Not only did the restaurant company abandon its workers during this health and economic crisis, the company’s CEO, Hazem Ouf, but was also fired for stealing. He moved around money to suit his personal agenda despite never having the approval to do so.It was reported, “Hazem Ouf was fired as CEO of the company, CraftWorks Holdings, for passing along $7 million in sales taxes to states where the company’s various brands were in operation.”
Days after this man’s firing due to failing to make this financial move under the approval of the court-appointed supervising parties, CraftWorks Holdings, decided to keep on firing their workers. The company did this by “mothballing” every one of its 261 locations because it claimed they did not have any money to keep them running.
The company failed to tell employees that their jobs were gone for good, which meant that some people were holding onto the hope that they’d be able to return to work shortly once the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic swept across America.
Before the pandemic, the company was struggling. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which was made only worse by the economic crash during Trump’s fourth year in office.
After the company fired Hazem Ouf, they replaced him with the new CEO, Marc Buehler. He wasted no time in terminating employees and cutting off their healthcare benefits. Because these employees were left high and dry when they needed health care the most – during a global pandemic – people are scrambling to sign up for Obamacare, which continues to be a respite for people in need of affordable health insurance.

In a shocking and desperate attempt to navigate financial hardship, Logan’s Roadhouse laid off its entire workforce and closed 261 of its restaurant locations, leaving employees without jobs and healthcare during one of the most challenging economic downturns in recent history. While many restaurants pivoted to takeout and delivery to survive, Logan’s parent company, CraftWorks Holdings, opted to clear its payroll entirely, placing financial survival above employee welfare.

The layoffs followed the abrupt firing of former CEO Hazem Ouf, who was dismissed for allegedly misappropriating $7 million in sales taxes without court approval amid the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. Days after Ouf's termination, new CEO Marc Buehler took the helm, and CraftWorks escalated its restructuring efforts, ultimately "mothballing" all Logan’s locations. The decision to shut down was made without informing employees that the closures would be permanent, leading many workers to hold onto the hope of returning once pandemic restrictions eased.

CraftWorks Holdings had been struggling financially long before the pandemic, having filed for bankruptcy and then facing further instability with the COVID-19 crisis. The timing of the layoffs left employees scrambling for alternatives, especially for healthcare coverage, during a period when access to affordable medical care was vital. For many, signing up for Obamacare became a last-resort solution to fill the gap left by the sudden loss of their jobs and benefits.