Two stories behind Halpin’s shut down

PITTSFIELD – There are two radically different narratives explaining the recent shut down of Halpin’s Grub and Grog.

One states the shut down was intentional, planned by management, and the restaurant will be reopening no later than St. Patrick’s Day.

The other indicates Halpin’s closed as a result of gross financial mismanagement by Halpin’s owner Jeffrey “Jeff” Halpin, the closing was instigated by an employee walkout and raises serious questions about whether Halpin’s will ever reopen its doors.

Michael Wixsom has worked off-and-on at Halpin’s Grub and Grog for three and a half years. For the last six months, he has run the kitchen there.

“I’ve made more friends from that restaurant than any other place in my life,” said Mr. Wixsom in comments to The Beacon.

Mr. Wixsom claimed Mr. Halpin has had a long-term problem not paying his employees in a timely manner.

“His main issue was not paying us on time,” he said, describing coming into work on Fridays and the checks not being there. “He’s had issues for the last two years paying his employees.”

According to Mr. Wixsom, Mr. Halpin’s apparent money issues extended beyond compensating his employees. Mr. Wixsom said when Halpin’s switched over to its current food supplier, Sysco, the only way Sysco agreed to take them on was if they were paid with cash on delivery.

“There was no running a tab, there was nothing,” said Mr. Wixsom.

Sysco, a publicly traded company, is the largest food service distributor in North America.

“Normally, I would need $3,500 a week to get myself properly food-stocked,” said Mr. Wixsom, who went on to say in the weeks before the shutdown, the money he was given was reduced to $1,000.

In the two weeks before Halpin’s closed down, Mr. Wixsom said he received no money to restock the kitchen and was unable to make contact with his employer.

“I couldn’t put a food order in because I couldn’t get a hold of him,” said Mr. Wixsom, who had no explanation for his employer’s behavior. “I’m not just going to spend his money without getting an okay.”

According to Mr. Wixsom, this resulted in the restaurant having a serious shortage of food on Saturday, Feb. 22.

“Helen decided there’s no point in being open if we can’t serve food,” said Mr. Wixsom, referring to Helen Zofrea, Halpin’s general manager.

Mr. Wixsom said this shortage prompted the employees to walk out. Halpin’s has not been open since that date.

Mr. Wixsom also said Mr. Halpin still owes his employees money.

“I’ve already started talking to…a lawyer,” said Mr. Wixsom, who says he wants everybody who worked for Mr. Halpin to get paid. “I’m not just on a solo mission here, I’m fighting for everybody that works for Jeff.”

As for what the reason was for the apparent financial issues surrounding Halpin’s, Mr. Wixsom doesn’t believe it was the result of the business’ performance.

“For the most part, we were busy,” he said.

Instead, Mr. Wixsom believes the source of Halpin’s woes stems from personal financial mismanagement by Mr. Halpin.

“It was taking trips down to Florida…it was buying snowmobiles, buying a $300 shirt for his girlfriend,” said Mr. Wixsom. “I could give you so many examples of how Jeff mismanaged his money.”

On one of these trips to Florida, Mr. Halpin went and saw the New England Patriots play the Miami Dolphins according to Mr. Wixsom.

“That same week, the week he came back, we didn’t get our paychecks,” said Mr. Wixsom.

Mr. Wixsom doesn’t see Halpin’s reopening in the near future.

“Financially, I don’t see it happening any time soon, unless it’s under new management,” he said.

Still, he would like to see Halpin’s open its doors once more and for Mr. Halpin to be the man who does it: “I would go back to work for him too.”

“I want everybody to be happy, I want my employees to get paid,” said Mr. Wixsom. “I want to be back in business, that’s all.”

Mr. Wixsom’s statements have been backed up by anonymous sources familiar with Halpin’s.

When contacted by The Beacon, Mr. Halpin, speaking from Naples, Fla., said the shut down was part of a planned vacation.

“We’re taking some time off,” said Mr. Halpin, who noted his restaurant has been open continuously for five years.

“It was planned for management,” said Mr. Halpin, when asked about Halpin’s shutting down on the 22nd, denying that the shut down was employee-driven.

He also said the reduction in food was part of a planned draw-down prior to this vacation and denied owing money to his employees.

“All the employees have been paid up to the hours that they’ve worked,” said Mr. Halpin.

“We didn’t really set a date on it,” said Mr. Halpin, when asked when Halpin’s would reopen, although he said it would be before St. Patrick’s Day.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on March 7, 2013. Filed under Community News,Featured,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry