AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT CHOWNOW

Culver City, California-based ChowNow, an online food ordering platform that connects customers with local restaurants, has announced a major cost-cutting initiative.

Approximately 100 employees were impacted across the onboarding, operations, and sales teams.

According to a company spokesperson, “We, like every company, plan our annual budgets far ahead of the upcoming year. The budget we planned for 2022 was large and ambitious. Since then the economy and capital markets have changed, and so it’s prudent that we adjust as well."

"We made the difficult decision to lay off team members this week. We are deeply grateful for their contributions and they will receive our full support during this time of transition. These actions are never taken lightly, but we believe they are necessary in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company and our commitment to supporting local restaurants.”

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? LAYOFFS AT PANERA BREAD

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 — 17% OF CORPORATE STAFF TARGETED

In preparation for an IPO (Initial Public Offer), Panera is laying off 17% of its corporate staff or 300 staff in supporting roles.

According to a company spokesperson, "To best position the company for the future and continually improve our guest experience, Panera is taking steps to simplify our operations. To fully enable this simplified model, we have made some difficult decisions to better align our support structure with our strategy."

JUNE 24, 2022 — Original post…

St. Louis, Missouri-based Panera Bread, a national bakery-cafe chain, has announced the relocation of its headquarters to Fenton, Missouri, targeted for mid-2023 as part of its downsizing initiative.

According to Panera's leasing agent, "the bakery chain’s 650 corporate employees currently based in Sunset Hills operate in a hybrid work model that has reduced their need for traditional office space." The move will downsize the company’s space from about 150,000 square feet on four floors to two floors with 72,000 square feet.

A company spokesman noted, “This new space will offer amenities to support associate well-being while providing space for our innovative team to ideate, collaborate, and support our bakery-cafes across the nation.

Panera plans to go public by a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) sometime in the future.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? IS THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL AT DUNKIN' BRANDS

Prior to the scheduled publication of this post — the company announced a deal with Inspire for $8.8 billion ($11.3 with debt). Dunkin’ will be taken private by Inspire. Look for consolidations and cost-cutiing ahead.

Original post…

Canton, Massachusetts-based Dunkin' Brands, the iconic multinational coffee and doughnut company, has announced that it is in discussions to be acquired by Atlanta, Georgia-based Inspire Brands.

Dunkin' would join Inspire Brand's brand portfolio that includes Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic, Jimmy John’s, and Sonic Drive-ins.

According to Dunkin' Brands Chief Communications Officer Karen Raskopf, the deal is not done yet and there is "no certainty that any agreement will be reached."

Dunkin' had previously announced the closure of up to 800 domestic stores and should the acquisition proceed, there will be the inevitable reduction in force as duplicate functions are streamlined and consolidated.

Change is coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life or promises for a bright future. Just because something bad hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. Are you now wondering, Am I Next?