Latest news with #BrandonJovanStephens
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Staff at popular Atlanta restaurant say they were blindsided by sudden closing
The Brief Taco Mac's Midtown location abruptly closed Monday morning, leaving employees with no prior notice, according to one former worker. Former staff say they found out through text messages, social media and a sign on the door. The company declined to explain why it shut down Atlanta's last in-town location. ATLANTA - When Taco Mac's Midtown location suddenly shut down this week, workers say they had no warning. The owners announced the closure with a letter posted in the window of the restaurant that read "Permanently Closed." "It's frustrating because it's not knowing," Brandon Jovan Stephens, a former bartender at the Midtown location, said. "Just be honest. We bust our ass here." This was the only remaining in-town location of the Atlanta-based sports bar chain. A sign on the door said, "Our dedicated team members – the true heart of Taco Mac – will be offered opportunities at nearby locations." A spokesperson for the company declined to comment further. SEE ALSO: Taco Mac suddenly shutters 2nd Atlanta location in less than 2 months What we know Stephens said he worked over the weekend and saw no sign that the restaurant would be closing. "I worked over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday," he said. "Nobody told us anything." He said he first learned of the closure on social media and went to the restaurant to see for himself. "When I found out it was really true, was this sign. When the sign is gone and it's on the door permanently closed, that's it. That's all. Yeah. We have to bow out gracefully." The backstory The Peachtree Street location's closure comes less than a month after Taco Mac announced that it was shutting down its first location in Atlanta's Virginia Highland neighborhood after 46 years in business. "We built a clientele with our regulars, you know, but for this place to be shut down like this was, was just like a slap in the face to everybody," Stephens said. Just a few weeks ago, Taco Mac shut down its Virginia-Highland location — the original. The chain, which began as a single neighborhood bar in 1979, announced that the iconic corner of N. Highland and Virginia Avenue is transitioning to a new restaurant concept as the company focuses on future growth. It will be home to Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint. Another Taco Mac location on West Ponce de Leon in Decatur closed without warning in 2023. It had been in business for 22 years. "Lot of people had this as their only job," Stephens said. "You know, some people had kids." What's next Stephens said he's trying to stay optimistic about what's ahead. "It's frustrating to me and I'm standing up for it because it affected a lot of these people that worked here, worked here for a while," he said. "You got to think about it too, when one door closes, another one opens." The Source This article is based off of original reporting by FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Taco Mac's Latest Closure Feels Like a Slap in the Face
For years, Taco Mac's Midtown location on Peachtree Street was a go-to for wings, beer, and game-day crowds. But this week, the doors shut for good—and no one gave the staff a heads-up. Fox 5 Atlanta reported that according to former employees, including bartender Brandon Jovan Stephens, the closure came without warning. "I worked Saturday and Sunday like normal," he said. "Nobody told us anything." He didn't hear it from a manager, an email, or a team meeting. Like many others, Stephens found out through a text, a sign on the door, and social media posts confirming what no one at the company would explain: Taco Mac Midtown was permanently closed. "It's frustrating because it's not knowing," he said. "Just be honest. We bust our ass here." The sign taped to the door read "Permanently Closed" and included a vague note that "dedicated team members... will be offered opportunities at nearby locations." But for many staffers who relied on the Midtown gig as their primary income—some supporting families—there's no guarantee of what comes next. This closure marks the third Atlanta-area Taco Mac shutdown in two years. In 2023, the Decatur location shut down after 22 years in business. Just weeks ago, the chain shuttered its original Virginia-Highland location after 46 years, making way for a Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint. Midtown had been the only remaining in-town location. For Stephens and his co-workers, it feels like a gut punch. "We built a clientele with our regulars," he said. "For this place to be shut down like this was just like a slap in the face." What stings even more is the silence. No official explanation. No chance to say goodbye to coworkers or longtime customers. Just a locked door, a paper sign, and a lot of unanswered questions. Despite the setback, Stephens is trying to stay hopeful. "It affected a lot of people that worked here," he said. "But when one door closes, another one opens. That's all we can do—keep going." Why Taco Mac's Latest Closure Feels Like a Slap in the Face first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 5, 2025
