Seven-unit Seattle-based conveyor belt sushi chain Blue C Sushi abruptly closed all of its units this week, according to local media reports.
The company did not respond to mail and social media messages from Restaurant Business.
Blue C Sushi employees received emails Sunday evening from the restaurant’s parent company, Madison Holdings Inc., informing them of the closures of the five stores in Seattle and two in Los Angeles.
The email listed “unexpected financial and other circumstances” as the reason for the shuttering of the 15-year-old chain, according to Eater.
Angry employees and customers took to Twitter, complaining about the sudden closure and wondering if gift cards would be refunded.
A photo posted to Twitter appeared to show a notice taped to the door of a Seattle unit, dated Monday, saying the restaurant owed $35,887.67 in back rent and would be forced to pay or vacate.
Blue C Sushi did $15.6 million in sales in 2017, down nearly 5% from the previous year, according to data from RB sister company Technomic.
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