(Barbados Nation) Emotions ran high on Monday evening at the meeting called by management of Chaps Restaurants Ltd. to formally inform 149 dismissed employees about the abrupt shutdown of its three high-end restaurants.
Still reeling from the shock many of them received at 6 a.m. Mondaythat the three restaurants – Cin Cin By The Sea, Primo Bar & Bistro and Hugo’s Barbados – had been closed, several of the former employees flew off the handle especially when they were informed by chief executive officer of Chaps, Joanne Pooler, that the National Insurance Department might have to pay them severance.
Cin Cin was in operation at Prospect, St James; Primo Bar & Bistro in St Lawrence Gap, Christ Church, and Hugo’s in Speightstown, St Peter.
In an early morning memo, Pooler had told staff it was no longer financially viable to keep the restaurants open. She said Government taxes, competition and a decline in visitor spend had negatively impacted the businesses.
The impasse even saw Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds, Cabinet colleague Marsha Caddle and other Government officials meeting with Pooler at Cin Cin in the afternoon in a bid to address the matter.
Meanwhile, the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Organisation (BHTA) has expressed concern about the “regrettable news” of the closure of the restaurants.
Chief executive officer Rudy Grant issued the following statement:
“All three of these restaurants are members of our association and the decision to close them is very unfortunate.
“These closures reduce the options available to visitors and Barbadians as it relates to our cuisine offerings. The culinary delights of Barbados provide for a positive experience with our visitors and any development which diminishes the opportunity for visitors to have a diversified culinary experience is challenging.
“We are greatly concerned regarding the 149 employees who will now be out of work. It is always saddening when persons lose their jobs as this has implications in many instances not only for the individuals but for their families as well.
“The BHTA, in our discussions with the relevant Government officials, has advocated for stand-alone restaurants which earn significant foreign exchange to benefit from the waiver of taxes and duties”, the BHTA said in a statement.