Guzman y Gomez Workers Protest 9 Chicago Closures as Chain Cites Long U.S. Path to 2037
Updated
Updated · Evanston Now · May 23
Guzman y Gomez Workers Protest 9 Chicago Closures as Chain Cites Long U.S. Path to 2037
7 articles · Updated · Evanston Now · May 23
About a dozen former employees protested Saturday outside the shuttered Evanston Guzman y Gomez, saying the chain closed all nine Chicago-area restaurants with no official notice.
Steven Marks said Friday the Australia-based company concluded it would need significantly more time and capital to succeed in the U.S., after opening the Evanston site in March 2025.
Workers said they learned of the shutdown from a leaked corporate email Thursday night, received no formal severance, and will be paid only through May 31.
Illinois' WARN Act requires 60 days' notice for certain closures or mass layoffs, and some employees said they are considering legal action or a state complaint.
The retreat halts what had been pitched as the start of a major U.S. expansion for the chain, which operates more than 200 restaurants globally.
Why did a popular global brand fail so quickly in the competitive American fast-food market?
Fired via a leaked email, can former staff successfully sue an Australian company for violating U.S. labor laws?
As its stock soared after a US exit, was GyG’s failure a brilliant retreat or a costly mistake?