Bickfords closes two area restaurants

WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Hundreds of patrons will have to find someplace else to eat, and dozens of workers are out of a job after two landmark local restaurants abruptly closed their doors Wednesday afternoon.

The Bickfords Restaurant on East Main Street in Westfield, and the franchise on Hazard Avenue in Enfield, Connecticut closed late Wednesday afternoon.

A.J. Christensen, a server at the Enfield store told 22News two women from the Bickfords Corporate Office came in shortly after she started her shift, and informed manager Douglas Holt that they were closing immediately, and all the workers were told to go home.

Christensen said an associate at the Westfield store told her the same thing happened there.

22News spoke with several customers this morning outside the Westfield restaurant, who were quite surprised to find Bickfords closed.

"I had no idea, I didn't have the TV on this morning before I left or I probably would have found out," customer John Gordon said.

"I have a group that meets here once a month and so it's kind of a shock to come here and find it closed," Richard Pomeroy of Westfield said.

No one answered the phone when 22News called the Westfield Bickfords, nor was there any voice-mail.

Christensen estimates as many as 40 people could be out of a job at the two restaurants.