GEORGETOWN | Ryan’s in Georgetown closed permanently Thursday morning after its parent company, Buffets Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Wednesday.
The company owns 494 restaurants in 38 states under names such as Old Country Buffet and Ryan’s.
As of Thursday, the Horry County locations in North Myrtle Beach, Conway and Surfside Beach still were opened.
Melissa Sheer, spokeswoman for Buffets Inc., said a listing of all 81 underperforming restaurants that will be closed, as a part of Buffets Inc. restructuring plan, will be released sometime Friday.
The company has about $245 million in outstanding debts.
“I am sad to hear Ryan’s has closed,” said John Kraus, a resident of the Belle Isle community in Georgetown County when he came to dine there Thursday with his wife, Pattie. “There were some great people working in there. It is such a shame. God bless them.”
The couple had been dining at Ryan’s for 13 years.
Other Ryan’s customers were just as surprised when they discovered their favorite buffet spot was no more.
Visitors from Canada and area residents from Georgetown and Williamsburg counties were among those who visited the location Thursday afternoon for lunch only to discover the sign posted on an 8×11 sheet of paper taped to the front door that read: “This location has permanently closed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we sincerely appreciate your patronage over the years. Please visit one of our other nearby locations.”
Underneath that message, the locations for Surfside Beach and Conway were mentioned but not North Myrtle Beach.
Marion Padgett, a Georgetown resident, had lunch at Ryan’s Tuesday and Wednesday -- and he wanted to do the same Thursday.
He left without his buffet fix after watching members of area churches and nonprofits collect supplies that Ryan’s employees left by dump bins. Management had called to let those groups know they were welcome to collect coffee pots, trays, cooling racks, printers, cups, lighting fixtures and other items.
Folks called their friends with trucks after discovering they couldn’t fit everything they fetched into their cars.
Kathy Gamble, a Georgetown resident, came to get some of the items.
Her stepdaughter, an employee of Ryan’s, said a mandatory meeting was held Thursday at 8 a.m. and employees were given the news.
Later in the day people continued to drive into the restaurant’s parking lot expecting to go on as usual and have dinner.
Most left disappointed and sad.
“I am shocked,” said Natasha Cohen-Garrett, a Hemingway resident who had dinner Monday at the Conway location. “My family and I have been coming here for a long time.”
Others didn’t seem bothered by the news.
“This is a blessing,” said Jacquelyn Lance, co-pastor at Refuge Outreach Ministry in Lake City. Her husband, Jobie Lance, is the head pastor. “These are things that will help us in our ministry.”
All of them, however, left behind a restaurant void of food and people.
Contact JOHANNA D. WILSON at 626-0324
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| News Letters |
Text Alerts |
Weather Alerts | Daily E -Edition |
RSS |
E-Mail
Print
The Sun News Terms & Conditions and Commenting Policies can be reviewed here.