California Chick-fil-A closure scare as job cuts announced

They’re not chicken-ing out.

A Southern California Chick-fil-A location appeared poised to shut up shop by the end of the year — an untasty move that would have impacted nearly 100 employees.

The outlet at 2040 N. Rose Ave. in Oxnard was scheduled to close by Dec. 31, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed by Worthy Integrated Holdings LLC, the restaurant’s operator.

The shuttering would impact 87 employees, according to the legally mandated filing.

Under state and federal guidelines, employers of establishments with 75 or more employees must give workers a 60-day written notice before the establishment closes.

Following a closure, just one other Chick-fil-A location, 851 Town Center Dr. near the RiverPark development, would remain open in Oxnard, a city of 200,000 residents.

But when contacted for details, a manager on duty at the Rose Ave. store who did not want to be named said they were surprised by the news.

Matthew Ellenberg, the current franchise holder, told the California Post that the restaurant isn’t actually closing — but is instead being sold to another franchisee.

Just off the 101 highway, the Chick-fil-A location is across the street from chicken competitor Raising Cane’s, which opened in 2019.

Under Chick-fil-A’s unique owner-operator franchise model, the company buys the real estate, builds the restaurant, and owns the equipment, but the restaurants are independently managed by the franchisees.

Chick-fil-A describes their franchisee selection process as “highly competitive.” Chick-fil-A franchisee Julian Good revealed in a recent interview that around 100,000 people apply each year to become a Chick-fil-A owner-operator, but only round 200 are chosen.

Known for their savory fried chicken sandwiches, signature waffle fries, and tangy Chick-fil-A sauce, the Atlanta-based chicken chain has over 200 locations in California, and 3,000 worldwide.

The company recently made the news for the first addition of a new sauce to the lineup in a decade — with corporate bosses recently confirming spice-ified version of their beloved Chick-fil-A sauce will soon be available nationwide.

The condiment will be available starting on November 16 in both standard dipping cups — and 8-ounce squeeze bottles at all restaurants, an earlier report stated.

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