The Virginian-Pilot
©
Six Burger King restaurants — two in Suffolk and one each in Chesapeake, Franklin, Smithfield and Windsor — closed Friday.
Azhar Holdings, LLC, which operates the six franchised restaurants, decided to close them because of their “weak operating performance,” according to a Burger King Corp. statement.
“BKC is disappointed that the Azhars decided to close their restaurants rather than continue to pursue an orderly transition to a new operator,” the statement reads. “We are working with the Azhars’ bank to find an existing Burger King franchisee to reopen the restaurants under new management as soon as possible.”
Burger King said it will try to help employees at the closed restaurants find new jobs at other local Burger King restaurants. The company will also provide emergency financial assistance to those employees.
The Burger King restaurants that closed are the franchises at:
- 3140 Western Branch Blvd., Chesapeake.
- Southampton Shopping Center, 1360 Armory Drive, Franklin.
- 1228 Smithfield Plaza, Smithfield.
- 2925 Bridge Road, Suffolk.
- 6501 Town Point Road, Suffolk.
- 59 W. Windsor Blvd., Windsor.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Greed...
It all comes down to that one word. Hope the owners have to declare bankruptcy very soon. Poor employees just trying to survive in this world yet again pay the price for incompetent management.
They owe taxes!
They owe Suffolk at least $20,000 in taxes. Franklin couldn't quote a figure, but said the amount is more than that. Meal tax is collected from people at the time of purchase, and then owed to the cities where it was collected. So if they don't have the money, it isn't due to slumping business. They have spent money they collected and owed!
Burger King Closings
I guess that BKC should tell these people that it is Ok not to pay taxes? Where did the money that they have already collected go.....to pay for that house!
A Rotten demise.
I work at Burger King on Western Branch Boulevard. Someone talked about knowing the Azhars about how they're good people. And I will say one thing. Whenever Sahmad[?] came in to check through our store to see what we needed he was always relatively friendly towards me. However, I was also wrote a bad check and it was bounced in my bank account. Since then, I had to go to Wal*Mart to be able to cash my check, paying a fee of three dollars each time, and then take it to my bank just to be sure I wasn't charged a fee for a bounced check.
This only takes it a step farther. For weeks we didn't have food - Fries, Onion Rings, Pies, Whoppers, Burger Meat - the list goes on. In fact, I stopped in our store at 2 p.m. on Friday to see about my check (which I'll get to in a moment), and I was told by a friend and fellow employee that works there that they were only selling chicken and fish. Burger King is called Burger King for a reason - what happened to the burgers? You can't expect one truck to divide between SIX stores. It's impossible. We had been surviving on Dollar Tree bought napkins, straws, and, in one instance, buns.
Each Burger King was shut down on Friday between 2-4p.
Now, B
a couple of comments
Have you seen the Azhar family home? I don't think they will be homeless anytime soon.
How did we get from fast food to sex education?
Sorry if I offended anyone about my earlier comment about fast food being a contributor to obesity in our kids. In fact it is! We can blame the parents for that one, and I don't care if they are poor or rich, but after a kid is old enough to go to a fast food rest. on their own, shows they have not been taught well about nutrition.
I've had a heart attack, and I don't want another one so there is no fast food in my diet. If you think ANY fast food rest. is a healthy place to eat, then that's your choice. All I ask is that you think twice about it.
6 Hampton Roads Burger King restaurants close
I have known the Azhar family for the past few years and know they are honest people. For the past 6 weeks, everyone has attacked them. Remember there are always 2 sides to every story. They moved to VA after Hurricane Katrina and lost there home and life in New Orleans. They came to VA hoping for a new beginning and they have literally been driven out of the state. Burger King Corp is responsible for helping their franchisees, but they turned their back on the Azhars. Really, who do you think is to blame a small business owner or a big corporation? The Azhars invested everything they have in those 6 stores. Due to Burger King they will be homeless for the 2nd time in 3 years.
Not only did Burger King fail to help the Azhars, but also all of the employees of those retaurants.
With the economy in the state that it is in now, how can small business owners survive with ruthless Corporations out there?
Free society
Fast food restaurants don't make you fat. The over eating and lack activity make you fat. It's too bad that they close, but if they are not making money, then close them. It is a business after all. I am sure they will be converted in to Mexican or Chinese retaurants
To Gertz Point
The fast food joints aren't responsible for overweight eaters. The people who over eat are. You sir/ma'am are a blamer and judger. Your hate shines thru. Why not be content with your choices instead of bitter over what others choose to do?
Lack of Education is the reason for FATTTT kids!
To the person that said fast food places are the cause for kids being a bit over weight,THINK about it,its NOT fast food that makes these kids fat,its POOR education,BOTH nutrition and sex education is poorly taught here,if it is taught at all,parents seem to have the idea that their kids should not learn sex ed in school,well,maybe they are right,let them learn it on the streets,keep those peds busy,sit back,wait for your kids to get raped,tortured,and maybe even murdered,they dont need to be taught sex ed.,hell know,they willl learn it on their own,all the parent will have to worry about is the medical bills if they should happened to catch some type of STD,(lets not forget that AIDS is still out there)or get knocked up,or maybe that funeral bill,so stop passing the buck,parents should be more responsible.
duh
"Now if we can get McD and Hardees out of business maybe our kids won't be so overweight".
So if you are fat, it's the fork and spoon's fault? Give me a break! People who are overweight are such because of their OWN choices. As for kids, parents need to "exercise" some backbone and say NO when asked for fast food all the time. They also need to educate their children about diet and choices. Oh my! Parents educating children?!?!?! You probably think that is the government's job, too.