Ruby Tuesday closes
By Steve Herring
Published in News on August 28, 2018 5:50 AM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Workers cover the Ruby Tuesday roadside sign with tarp Monday morning as former employees stand outside the restaurant that has closed.
The Ruby Tuesday wait staff continued to take care of their customers Monday morning, even though they did not have a job.
Instead of going from table to table to take orders, they went from vehicle to vehicle letting customers know that the restaurant has closed.
The seven former employees, including general manager Miranda Carter, stood in front of the entrance talking and looking out for regulars as they pulled into the parking lot.
High above them, workers were covering the large Ruby Tuesday roadside sign with a dark tarp.
A sign on the door said, "This Ruby Tuesday location is closed. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this may have caused you and look forward to serving you in one of our other restaurants soon.
"If you have any questions, please visit rubytuesday.com and choose the 'Contact us' option. Thank you."
The News-Argus was unable to contact company officials by phone or email for comment.
Employees are eligible for either a separation package or chance to work at other Ruby Tuesday locations in Wilson, Smithfield or Kinston, Carter said.
Carter said she returned early from her vacation when she found out about the closing in order to call the staff -- which she called a family.
"We have so many regulars that we are going to miss," she said. "Hopefully, we will see them at other stores."
The staff is a loyal team, and a big family built from scratch, she said.
Carter has worked with the company for 10 years, starting out as a host/server.
She said that during that time, she had some phenomenal bosses who watched her in her growth.
"I have done every job to dishwashing probably being my favorite," she said. "You get to put in earbuds and drown out everything. This company is fantastic. They have given me the position and the place to be a leader and to get to mold these people into other leaders.
"That's how I took my job for the longest time was that I get to be a leader, and that I get to create a leader in the community and build these kids up and give them hope for a better life."
Brittany Atkinson has worked at the restaurant for nearly four years.
"We are one big family here, so the coolest thing is instead of us having to find out with a note on the door or like how we get our schedules, our general manager called us herself," she said.
"She called everyone around 8 o'clock last night (Sunday). We got a personal phone call from our general manager that we were shutting down. They, at least, did that for us."
Atkinson said she thinks everyone is leaving on good terms.
"No one is mad or anything -- at least there is that," she said. "I have worked with these same people for the three years I have been here. It is a small store. We know each other. We know each other's kids.
"We are just one big family. The store ends, the family doesn't."