Owner Of Several Bucks County Restaurants Cuts Hours For Staff, Offers Relief Pay

The national company that runs several restaurants in Bucks County has warned the state that numerous employees have had their hours cut so much that they might be considered furloughed due to COVID-19.

This week, Bloomin’ Brands, the company that owns Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, filed notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act that as many as 2,952 employees at 46 locations in 17 counties, including Bucks, will be impacted.

Outback Steakhouse has locations in Bensalem, Falls Township, and Warrington. Carrabba’s Italian Grill operates a restaurant in Bensalem and Bonefish Grill has a location in Middletown. The locations are still open for takeout.

The Florida-based restaurant operator said the WARN Act filing is due to COVID-19 mitigation measures forcing the closure of dining rooms, which caused the eateries to reduce hours for workers but not permanently cut any positions.

“We sent WARN notices to employees and the required municipalities due to a reduction in hours resulting from the closing of our dining rooms. Some employees are working in our restaurants, which are still open for take away and delivery,” Bloomin’ Brands spokesperson Elizabeth Watts said, adding no job cuts are planned at this time.

Bloomin’ Brands has provided ongoing paid benefits and relief pay for up to six weeks for employees. Watts said the company plans to put its employees back to work when dining rooms reopen.

Bloomin’ Brands CEO David Deno said in a statement in mid-April that they have offered free meals to employees impacted by the closures of the dining rooms. Employees who have been ill or needed to self-isolate due to COVID-19 have been paid, had access to the company’s employee assistance program, and 100 percent of benefit premiums have been paid by the company for those receiving relief pay.

The CEO said sales across its brands have grown as the COVID-19 mitigation efforts nationwide have stretched out.

Visionwork, which operates a eye center in the Oxford Vally Mall in Middletown, has also filed a WARN Act document staying that across the state they have 414 employees who could be impacted by COVID-19 related layoffs.

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