Logan’s Roadhouse could be permanent casualty of pandemic

MADISON – The reality is setting in that some business who have closed temporarily due to the regulations imposed by the state to stem the outbreak of COVID-19 may have a hard time reopening later. One popular Madison restaurant may be one of the first permanent casualties.

Logan’s Roadhouse on Madison Blvd has been temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with the hope of reopening soon. However, the Wall Street Journal reported the company behind the restaurant, CraftWorks Holdings, might permanently close more than half of its nearly 300 locations.

The Tennessee-based company had filed for bankruptcy last month, and the pandemic has thrown a wrench into the plan laid out weeks ago. CraftWorks also owns the Old Chicago, Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom and ChopHouse restaurant brands.

The WSJ reported that an internal memo from CraftWorks showed the company had fired nearly 18,000 employees last week after putting them on furlough early last month. The company has also terminated its employee benefits plans, according to the paper.

“Please know that we continue to work diligently towards a reopening date and are looking forward to the day when we hope to bring many of you back with a new suite of benefits,” CraftWorks told employees in a memo last Tuesday cited by the Journal.

Whether the Logan’s in Madison or Huntsville will be among those reopened is not known yet. CraftWorks is expected to keep the most profitable locations.