Here to Serve No Longer Here to Serve?

A sign posted at Prime  reads "Unfortunately Prime will be closed tonight. We apologize for the inconvenience."  

Multiple restaurants abruptly close.

Atlanta-based Here to Serve Restaurants informed their staff at about 5 PM this evening that they are shutting down and that all restaurants will close.  The news came as a shock to many in the restaurant industry, especially the nearly 1,000 employed by the group's ten Atlanta area restaurants.  

As of earlier tonight, Here to Serve operated three Noche locations (Brookhaven, Virginia Highland & Vinings) two locations of Coast (Buckhead & Johns Creek) Prime, Shucks, Smash, Strip and Twist.  

After receiving the news of their closure, I contacted each restaurant. As of 8 PM, six of the ten had either posted signage reflecting their closure or their phone rang unanswered.

I spoke with Christy Kirkland, formerly a bartender at Noche Brookhaven, who indicated she was informed  of the closure by her General Manager at 5PM.  

Twist at Phipps Plaza, Strip at Atlantic Station and Coast in Buckhead were the only three restaurants still open at 9 PM. Each restaurant indicated that tonight would be their final night in business.  

Noche in Virginia Highland was the only restaurant that indicated they were not closing, but I think it may instead be a matter of the closure information not being disseminated properly.  

Strangely, last month the group converted their Noche restaurant in Johns Creek to their Coast seafood concept. The restaurant had barely been open a month before closing tonight.  

I attempted to contact a high level source at Here to Serve Restaurants whom I had just seen at last week's Taste of Atlanta.  Multiple calls placed to this individual went unanswered.  

Here to Serve Restaurants was started in 1996 with the opening of Prime at Lenox Square.  Prior to that, Tom Catherall operated simply tom tom, a bistro, also in Lenox Square in 1993.  

Here to Serve has been reducing their number of restaurants following last years divorce settlement that awarded the entire group to Tom Catherall's ex-wife, Leigh.  

Last month Aja abruptly closed at One Alliance Center in Buckhead. This past May, Here to Serve shuttered Goldfish, their seafood eatery at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.   Late last year, the group closed its popular Shout restaurant at Colony Square in midtown.   

One source with whom I spoke indicated that the company "didn't pay their payroll taxes for a YEAR" 

A mystery "private investor" is reportedly interested in buying both Twist and Strip and reopening them.  

No word on what if anything will be done for those still holding Here to Serve gift cards.  Employees of the group indicated they are owed paychecks dating back at least two weeks.  

As of 10PM the Here to Serve website has been updated with a message about the closures: 

"We apologize for the inconvenience, we are working on reorganization. Hopefully we will be HERE TO SERVE you again soon!"

I visited Twist towards closing and witnessed a number of employees in tears, many shaking hands and hugging and many in total shock.  

Napkins litter the floor following employee celebrations at Twist 

I spoke to a number of restaurateurs this evening who indicated they are eager to both hire affected employees and possibly take over some of the former restaurants.    

What are your thoughts on this series of closures?  What do you think went wrong?  What would you like to see open in place of the affected restaurants? 

Please share your thoughts below.