By By Connie Nowlin Managing editor
In a move that surprised many, including some employees, Atmore's Golden Corral closed its doors Thanksgiving evening. Whether they open again is a question that remains to be answered.
The business was operated by Roger McGowan, of Andalusia. The Golden Corral he operates there was open as of Friday morning.
The business was a franchise of the Golden Corral corporation in North Carolina.
"Our franchisee in that market decided to close the store," said Bob McDevitt, vice president of marketing for the chain.
"The best thing for us is to have an operating restaurant in the market," he said.
Few of the employees wanted to speak to the newspaper about the restaurant. One employee who did not give her name said she only learned of its closure when another employee who had worked Thanksgiving Day called her at home that evening and told her she no longer had a job.
But Letha Marshall, who made desserts for the restaurant, said she had been told that the corporate office was requiring McGowan to remodel and update the facility, to the tune of $100,000. "We knew it was coming," Marshall said. "But we figured it would be after Christmas. It wasn't his (McGowan) fault. He was a nice person to work for."
Repeated telephone calls to McGowan in Andalusia were not returned.