Hometown Buffet in Salinas has abruptly closed its doors. The restaurant, located on Northridge Drive in Salinas, had an estimated 30 employees who were shocked to find out that they were out of a job. "I got a phone call this morning. They go, come pick up your check. I go, 'what?' They didn't give us two weeks notice or nothing," former employee Perry Tempoanca said.Employees were told to return Thursday 3-5 p.m. for their final check. This is not the first time a Hometown Buffet restaurant has abruptly shut its doors.Back in 2016, The California Department of Industrial Relations launched an investigation after buffet chain closed restaurants in Southern California in a similar fashion.The buffet chain was accused of violating the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The law makes employers give 60 days advance notice for mass layoffs. But the state's investigation said Hometown Buffet did not violate the law because each of their restaurants have less than 75 workers. Several employees told Action News that they heard the Hometown Buffet was going to become a Goldan Corral. Hometown Buffet's parent company, Food Management Partners, did not return our request for comment prior to publication.

Hometown Buffet in Salinas has abruptly closed its doors.

The restaurant, located on Northridge Drive in Salinas, had an estimated 30 employees who were shocked to find out that they were out of a job.


"I got a phone call this morning. They go, come pick up your check. I go, 'what?' They didn't give us two weeks notice or nothing," former employee Perry Tempoanca said.

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Breaking news: Wildly popular HomeTown Buffet in Salinas abruptly closes doors, no warning to roughly 30 employees, told to return this afternoon for final check.. pic.twitter.com/70G4Z4DXhC — Felix Cortez (@FelixKSBW) May 23, 2019

Employees were told to return Thursday 3-5 p.m. for their final check.

This is not the first time a Hometown Buffet restaurant has abruptly shut its doors.

Back in 2016, The California Department of Industrial Relations launched an investigation after buffet chain closed restaurants in Southern California in a similar fashion.

The buffet chain was accused of violating the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. The law makes employers give 60 days advance notice for mass layoffs.

But the state's investigation said Hometown Buffet did not violate the law because each of their restaurants have less than 75 workers.

Several employees told Action News that they heard the Hometown Buffet was going to become a Goldan Corral.

Hometown Buffet's parent company, Food Management Partners, did not return our request for comment prior to publication.