What's going on at the Boston Market in Ocala?
Editor's note: This story has been revised to clarify a former general manager's explanation of why the restaurant struggled.
Caroline Carter of Alachua stops for lunch at the Boston Market restaurant on College Road (State Road 200) in Ocala at least once a week when she’s in town.
Carter and her party pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot a bit after 1 p.m. on a recent day only to find the doors of the popular eatery locked and no activity inside.
Carter stated the restaurant has been “going downhill“ for the last number of weeks, citing problems with the drink machine and shortages of items on the menu.
A letter on Boston Market letterhead posted on the restaurant's front door on Aug. 8 reads, in part: “Due to supply chain shortages, we only have a limited menu for today.”
Another sign, handmade, states: “No Pay No Work, Employers.”
The recent general manager of the location, who preferred not to be identified by name, stated in a phone interview that multiple issues were involved in the store's closure.
There “were (food supply) issues” that were being resolved, she said. But the primary reason for the local closure was an inability to get and pay employees, the recent general manager said.
The recent general manager could not offer a reopen date or any additional information about the shutdown.A message left with Boston Market’s corporate office was not immediately returned.
The Ocala Boston Market, 2650 SW College Road, is in a freestanding building at the entrance to Shady Oaks Plaza. The building was constructed in 1995, according to county property records.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Boston Market in Ocala is closed for now. What's in store?
