by Steve Bradley
Approximately 25 jobs were lost when McDonald’s at 21451 Route 22 closed its doors Monday evening. Tuesday morning workers were on the site to remove the signage and prepare to shut down the building. The employees had no notice of the closing, and most were surprised when they heard the news. [private]
Employees who came to work Tuesday morning were met with representatives from McDonald’s in Bennington and Manchester offering them employment at those restaurants. Some employees were planning to go to work at the Bennington restaurant.
The owner of the restaurant, Charles Coughlin, who owns 18 restaurants in the area, said, “I made the difficult decision to permanently close the Hoosick Falls McDonald’s at the close of business on August 31. McDonald’s restaurants routinely open and close based on current business needs. Our Hoosick Falls restaurant was a low-volume location, and ceasing operations was a necessary economic measure I had to make for my organization. All employees have been offered positions at my other restaurants, including the McDonald’s in Bennington, Vermont. I want to thank my hard-working crew for their years of dedicated service, as well as the community of Hoosick Falls for their patronage.”[/private]