Friday, January 4, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR PERKINS...SORRY I'M LATE

The wife & kids and I just got back from Maine last night.....-17 windchill when we left. but warmer during the trip made for some great snow shoe-ing. Two feet of snow...and yes the roads were clear. Today, I went to pick up my new glasses in Bethlehem-they rock!....on my way I saw(clearly) that the Perkins at Lehigh Center-near the Allentown border, for those who don't know that area, is closed. In the window it read: RESERVE YOUR TINS & BASKETS NOW. Bummer. I remember that Perkins from when I lived on the east side of Allentown 1991-1998 and others remember it from earlier. I had been to the Perkins in Easton only a few times. I'm surprised at the closing in Bethlehem because of the growth and size of that "little" mall and Lowes sorta around the corner on 378. You've got Dan Schantz, Marshalls, RiteAid,
Hollywood Video..the refurbished GIANT..Don't forget Golds Gym...where you can go after you ate at Perkins.........and of course Staples...directly across from the front door...perfect for me because my church is still on the east side.I watched that mall go through some growing pains over the years.

I wasn't in the room when it happened but it appears the shut down was rather abrupt at both locations. But the press reports said the employees were given the opportunity to work at other Perkins locations in the Valley.

From community comments it looks like Perkins might have a local PR or an HR problem.
(Of course it's not like they changed their name to Porkchop.)They said profits were down nationally...but no one ever says why. WAS IT THE CRANBERRY MUFFINS? OR WAS IT THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR OF SMOKE FREE ENVIROMENTS?
We'll never know...however....

A smart restaurant owner will swoop in to that location(s) negotiate a shorter lease, re-employ some former Perkins people and save the day.....THAT WOULD BE A PR/HR coup
(call me when you're launching your ad campaign)




http://www.kenmatthews.com/

4 comments:

river said...

the Perkins in Easton and rt 191 Bethlehem are also closed.

Ken Matthews said...

thanks for update. I didn't hear about about Perkins 191.

Scoobyaddict said...

According to this picture, the Perkins on 191 is still open:
http://blog.pennlive.com/lvbreakingnews/2007/12/perkinsigns.JPG

Ken Matthews said...

that would explain why I only heard about the two I mentioned. lol

thanks to all for checking in..

please treat yourself to an extra muffin this week or some KEY LOM PAH