The future of Fields Foods is at a standstill, a representative said Monday, with the grocery stores all closed, employees out of work and no deal cut to resell the chain.
Owner Chris Goodson had previously said he was selling the grocery chain to an employee-led group. But on Monday his spokesman, Paul Zemitzsch, told the Post-Dispatch that has not materialized.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no offer or deal,鈥 Zemitzsch said. 鈥淚鈥檇 say conversations have been fairly limited.鈥
All Fields Foods employees have been let go, and Goodson is currently in negotiations with all parties owed money, Zemitzsch said. An auction agency is helping the company sell off the remaining food inventory, he said.
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鈥淭hese stores are located in food deserts, and there鈥檚 a reason these locations fail,鈥 Zemitzsch said. 鈥淐hris gave it his best shot.鈥
The chain鈥檚 flagship in Lafayette Square and its Downtown location closed Saturday with no notice.
In July, Fields Foods closed its Pagedale store suddenly, followed by the Skinker-Debaliviere and Dogtown locations last month. Signs on store doors described the closures as a temporary pause in business and that they would reopen in a few weeks, with new ownership and remerchandising.
Zemitzch said while there is no employee ownership group, Field Foods CEO Joe O鈥橳oole has expressed interest in taking over the operation. O鈥橳oole said previously that such a deal would require confidentiality and did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Some laid off workers said they are confused and angry over their sudden unemployment but not surprised.
In early August, John Schell said management informed him and his Downtown store coworkers that they were laid off.
鈥淭hey said, 鈥楨verything is going to be taken care of. The store is going to reopen and you鈥檙e going to be rehired,鈥欌 Schnell said. Delivery trucks stopped showing up in March and the Downtown store became depleted, he said.
Similarly, cashier Brent Nichols learned of his termination by reading a sign on the door of the Skinker-Debaliviere store. He said the store was plagued by equipment issues and other problems. Refrigerators and freezers would periodically break down, Nichols said, and cold food would warm and thaw before being put back in working cases to be sold.
Zemitzsch said Field Foods was 鈥渘ot aware of anyone being sold anything bad.鈥 Fields Foods stopped buying meat and produce more than three weeks ago, he said.
In July, the Fields Food chain was served a number of lawsuits over delinquent taxes and unpaid rent. A hearing on Fields Foods鈥 late city taxes is scheduled for Dec. 6.
On Aug. 17, Fields Foods was ordered by the state鈥檚 Division of Employment Security to pay more than $20,000 for failing to report delinquent unemployment contributions, which are required by law.