PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Hungry customers showing up to Moe’s Southwest Grill in Pinellas Park are surprised to find out it’s closed!
The lights are out, the door is locked and signs are posted at Moe’s on Park Boulevard North.
“The business is closed,” said customer Annissa Bizzell.
The signs claim: “We are not opening for lunch our franchise owner Tony Friel has not paid any employees. If he pays for us, we will re-open.”
“The 14th was to be our most recent payday and nobody got paid,” said Tiffany McKenna, Winter Park Moe’s manager.
McKenna is the manager at Moe’s in Winter Park, which is another location owned by Friel.
“They’ve been people struggling. People not being able to buy groceries, not being able to make their bills,” said McKenna.
McKenna showed us an email, apparently sent by Friel to his store managers across Tampa Bay and Orlando, which stated, “We have been fighting to keep up with all other bills, but unfortunately, we can not make payroll.”
The email continued on to apologize to employees, promising they would be paid soon.
“Are we going to get paid on the 28th for the hours we were told we had to come in and work or we would be fired?” said McKenna.
Customers showing up here to the Moe’s in Pinellas County feel for the employees knowing times are tough.
“Rent has gone up,” said Bizzell. “Food has gone up. People have to pay bills, bills don’t stop. They’re going to constantly keep coming.”
News Channel 8 called, texted and emailed Friel several times. So far, we have not heard back yet.
Moe’s corporate shared this statement with us: “At every Moe’s Southwest Grill location across the country, treating people with the utmost respect is a top priority. While the location in Pinellas Park is independently owned and operated, this situation does not reflect the values of Moe’s and our franchisee community. As this is an employment-related matter, we are unable comment any further.”