‘They’re in there firing everyone’: VB board game cafe lays off all employees without notice
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — They laid off everybody at once, even the manager. The now former employees of a Virginia Beach board game business are calling it an unprofessional move.
It started as a locally-owned business called Roll With It Board Game Cafe in 2021. They later sold to a Canadian-based chain of board game cafes, Snakes and Lattes. They have locations throughout Ontario and parts of the U.S.
The former manager, Gabrielle Madurski, reached out to 10 On Your Side. She told our team about the many disputes over things like pay, and how the cafe should be run. Madurski also pointed out potential health code concerns and a lack of effective communication with the new owners — none of whom were based in Virginia.
“The location started to lose money,” Madurski said. “It got worse when the general manager left and we were kind of left to the wayside without a lot of communication, without a lot of help. We just kind of held it together the best we could.”
Madurski was later promoted to the manager position, describing an uphill battle when asking to jump from a lower end hourly rate to being salaried.
“[I] asked if they could get it in writing,” Madurski recalled. “She said that’s not something that they typically do. But she’d write something up for me. Never happened.”
It all came to a head on Monday, when Snakes and Lattes laid off everyone at the Virginia Beach location without notice.
“One of my co-workers got here before I did, it was as we were about to open at 4.” Madurski recalled. “One of my co-workers stopped me and asked if I was going in. I said of course, why wouldn’t I. And I was told, they’re in there firing everyone.”
Our news team reached out to Susan Lawver, Director of Operations USA for Snakes and Lattes. She confirmed the sudden layoffs. In a statement, she called it a difficult decision, and said the need for improvements at their Virginia Beach location necessitated a change.
“We understand the concerns raised by our former staff members, patrons and the wider community,” Lawver said. “Our commitment to the Virginia Beach community remains steadfast, and we are eager to introduce the improvements we’re making, which we believe will significantly enhance the guest experience.”
Lawver can be seen making posts on a forum for the official company website, saying, “I made the choice not to let the team know,” stating it was over fears of potential retaliation.
She described laying off all employees at a Snakes and Lattes location in Provo, Utah.
Lawver wrote, “That did not go well for us. Assets went missing and on any given day, random people wouldn’t show up or even call out. But the biggest reason we didn’t let the team know ahead of time this was coming was out of safety for our guests. Our guests safety when it comes to food protocols can not be compromised. And while I’m not accusing the Virginia team of potentially doing anything that would compromise our guests experience, after arriving in Provo and seeing the state of the kitchen when a team gets a heads up about a location closing, I made the choice not to let the team know.”
She added in her posts, she felt they were “not able to make the changes this location needs to thrive with the current team.” She compared the interior to that of a bakery fast-food restaurant chain.
Lawver told 10 On Your Side a total of six employees were simultaneously laid off without notice. Madurski told us a total of nine employees were laid off, including those who were out on medical leave. She said they were still employees of the cafe during the layoffs.
Madurski said the employees were all told to not re-apply to their old jobs. She believes many of the regulars will not be returning after the cafe re-opens.
“We wanted them to feel safe, we wanted them to have a good time and make true genuine connections,” Madurski said.
They are temporarily closed until mid-March. Official social media posts from the company said the closure is for renovations and do not mention the layoffs.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
