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Patrons bemoan closed eatery in Toms River, N.J.
(Asbury Park Press (NJ) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 25--Margaret Major is at a loss.
The Old Country Buffet, in the Seacourt Pavilion shopping mall on the corner of Bay and Hooper avenues, closed Tuesday, seemingly with no notice, Major said.
"I cook, but sometimes I go there two, three times a week," said Major, a Lakehurst senior citizen and amusement park worker who estimated that hundreds of senior citizens were affected by the decision to shutter the establishment.
There are other restaurants in Toms River and other buffets that serve Chinese food, "but my friend does not like Chinese food," she said.
More than just a restaurant, Old Country Buffet was a community center of sorts, where senior citizens could meet and greet each other, while enjoying one price for a meal, dessert, and drink, said Major, who added that she had been going to the eatery for years.
Joseph LaManna of Brick feels the same way. Members of a group he belongs to, Jersey Shore 10-13 Police Association, had been meeting weekly at the restaurant, he said.
The group is made up of retired members of the New York City Police Department who live at the Jersey Shore, either permanently or as summer visitors. About eight of the group's 250 members would get together every Friday night at the Old Country Buffet.
"That used to be our clubhouse. Now we have to figure out where to go," LaManna said.
He added, "It was really nice. You could eat and talk, and they (restaurant management) never bothered you or rushed you out of the place."
"For it to have closed so suddenly, it just should not have happened," Major said.
Michael Freitag, a spokesman with the New York-based Kekst and Co. communications firm, confirmed that the Toms River location was one of a handful across the country that had been closed this week by Buffets Holdings.
Based in Eagan, Minn., Buffets Holdings is the parent company of Old Country Buffet, among other restaurants. According to information on the company Web site, it was the nation's largest steak-buffet restaurant company, with 573 eateries in 39 states, employing about 35,000 people and serving 200 million customers yearly.
Buffets Holdings filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 in January. While a statement on the company's restructuring Web site notes that "over 500 restaurants in 39 states are open for business as usual," a frequently asked question list also states that Buffets Holdings would be reviewing all its underperforming locations.
In documents filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., Buffets Holdings listed total assets of about $963.54 million, and total debts of about $1.16 billion.
Customers such as LaManna said that the Toms River location was frequently packed. Yet, the bankruptcy filing was due primarily to a marked decline in discretionary spending from customers, according to court documents, which in turn was due to the nation's economic downturn. Buffets Holdings also placed blame on increased operating costs, as well as increased food and energy costs and an increase in the minimum wage.
"Together, these factors have significantly depressed consumer spending in the family dining segment and negatively impacted the debtors' guest counts at the restaurants," the company stated.
"Since then (January), Buffets Holdings have been reviewing all locations, deciding which leases to accept and which to reject," Freitag said. He added that he was unaware of any other New Jersey locations which would be closed.
On Wednesday evening, patrons expecting dinner expressed both shock and dismay upon reaching the doors of the Toms River restaurant. Vending machines by the exit door still held their wares of rubber balls, candy, gum, and temporary tattoos.
In addition to two handwritten "closed" signs made on a piece of cardboard, a more formal notice was posted on each of the restaurant's two doors, dated July 22:
"The Company regrets to announce that this restaurant, 635 Bay Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753, has closed for business," with no explanation given. A second sentence gave the Web site address where people could go to find other restaurant locations.
Rich Fuller of Toms River, who brought his two children with him, read the notice and shook his head.
"I don't know what we're going to do for dinner," Fuller said, adding that he frequented the sit-down restaurant two or three times a month.
"It was a good value for the price, with good food and a decent selection for the kids," he added.
The only alternative, Fuller said, was to visit a Chinese-food buffet for dinner.
About that time Liz Fabel of Stillwater, down at the Shore for the summer, pulled into the parking lot, expecting to get food for herself and her three children.
"I'm very surprised" about the closing, Fabel said. "We went bowling and the kids wanted to eat here for dinner."
Like Fuller, Fabel was undecided on where to go. She estimated that her family visited Old Country Buffet about four times in the summer months of July and August.
"It's always been a good bargain," Fabel said.
To see more of the Asbury Park Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.app.com
Copyright (c) 2008, Asbury Park Press, N.J.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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