Alexander Alusheff

Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING - Cosi in downtown East Lansing closed on Monday without giving notice to its employees or landlord.

“We knew they were having problems, but we didn’t know they closed until (Wednesday),” said Glen Grenadier, manager of Grenadier City Center, LLC, which owns the building at 301 E. Grand River Ave.,

The Boston-based chain filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday in federal court in Massachusetts. By Wednesday, it has closed 29 of its 74 locations, including the East Lansing location.

The fast-casual restaurant first opened in East Lansing in 2002. The chain was known for its homemade flatbread sandwiches.

Tess Johnson, a junior at Michigan State University, had worked there as a barista for the last 15 months. Her last shift ended at 1 p.m. on Monday. At 2 p.m. she received a text from a coworker who showed up for her shift but found that the restaurant had closed.

“I stopped by there again, and they were just packing everything up,” she said.

Johnson said business hadn't picked up after the slow summer months like it usually did.

Grenadier said his company is actively seeking a new tenant for the 6,100-square-foot property.

“It’s in a good spot, so hopefully we can get someone else in there," he said.

Alexander Alusheff is a reporter at the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.