The Shari’s Cafe and Pies restaurant at the corner of River and Chemawa Roads in downtown Keizer permanently shuttered its doors on Monday, Sept. 23, with little notice to the public.
Tonya Springer of Keizer worked as a breakfast server at the restaurant from the day Shari’s opened. She was employed for almost 30 years.
Springer said a staff meeting was held earlier in September, when employees were informed the restaurant would close permanently on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The restaurant closed earlier on Monday, Sept. 23, instead.
The reason given to the employees for the closing was affects of COVID, high staff turnover, lack of product and delayed maintenance. The restaurant’s unruly landscaping has come in for criticism recently on social media and messages to the city’s code enforcement office.
For Springer the quick closing did not allow her to say goodbye to her regular customers, for which she feels bad about.
Shari’s Cafe employees in Keizer were offered the opportunity to switch to other locations.
A note was taped to the front door announcing the restaurant’s closure and directing customers to a Salem Shari’s location.
According to social media, a long-time server received a message from the company saying the restaurant was no longer open.
The Keizer restaurant opened in 1996. Shari’s was once among the nation’s largest family-restaurant chain.
Shari’s Cafe corporate office did not return calls for comment regarding the Keizer location..
