Hazelwood Bob Evans Closes, Low Patronage the Reason

If you love eating at Bob Evans, you'll have to head one exit east or west on I-270, because the restaurant has closed shop in the City of Hazelwood.

The building is boarded up over at St. Louis Outlet Mall and Margaret Standing, Director, Corporate Communications for Bob Evans Farms spoke with Hazelwood Patch about the decision to close the comfort food location.

"The restaurant was closed due to low volume," she said. "Of course, this was a very difficult decision, but as a public company, we have an obligation to our shareholders to improve our results each year."

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Standing said employees were the first to learn of the closure.

"We announced to our restaurant employees on Sunday, April 14, that we would close the Hazelwood location effective immediately," she said. "Our employees at the Hazelwood location were encouraged to transfer to another of our restaurants in their respective markets, including the Bridgeton and Florissant locations."

Standing said the Hazelwood store was not the only location to close. Adding the company has to make hard choices when necessary.

"On the same day, April 14, we closed four other locations: three in Florida and two in Missouri," she said. "Besides Hazelwood, the other location in Missouri that closed is in Independence."

As for the employees that found themselves immediately unemployed, Standing said the closure was not a reflection on them.

"The closing, it should be noted, was no reflection on the work of the employees at our Hazelwood restaurant," she said. "We are very grateful to all of them for their efforts over the years.

"Those employees choosing not to stay with us were offered severance pay, (and) we wish them all the best in their future endeavors."