American Blue Ribbon announced the closing of 13 Max & Erma’s Midwest locations as it streamlines operations and deals with underperforming outlets.
The parent company, which also owns O’Charley’s, Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub, Village Inn, and Bakers Square, says senior managers went to the restaurants in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana on Monday to deliver the news. It also notes that every team member would be provided with a severance agreement, and that the next phase of the brand’s revitalization would begin the same week.
"A member of our senior leadership team was at each restaurant this morning to personally deliver this news and to provide each and every team member with a severance agreement," American Blue Ribbon Holdings says in the statement. "We felt that the best way to handle this news was to deliver the news in person. This ensured that each employee was dealt with individually and in person."
Max & Erma’s was founded in 1972 in Columbus, Ohio, and is known for its burgers and beer. The chain filed for bankruptcy protection in 2009 before being bought by American Blue Ribbon the following year.
