“To those employees, I’m sorry. I wish we could keep it going,” says Jerry Vela, regarding the sudden closing of 7 CK’s Coffee Shops.
Vela and brother-in-law Randy Gross took over several locations of the coffee shop chain in June 2010. On Sunday, July 29th, after the first shift, they closed the coffee shops for good. (There are three locations that Vela and Gross do not own that remain open.)
Both Vela and Gross are unhappy with coverage of the closings, particularly an article in the Commercial Appeal and an interview with an employee on Channel 3.
They say they closed on Sunday without notice to their employees to avoid theft. Gross says the move was to protect assets and was not malicious.
Going over his time with CK’s, Gross says, “The first year was great.”
