Former employees of Estia’s Little Kitchen are reeling from what they say was an 11th-hour notification that the Sag Harbor eatery would be closing for good last weekend.
The owner of the restaurant, Colin Ambrose, said that the waitstaff staged a walkout on Sunday prior to service on what was to be the last day of business. Mr. Ambrose sold the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike eatery and is planning to retire.
Estia’s has been in its Sag Harbor location for 27 years and before that a different iteration was on Main Street in Amagansett. The new owners, SunLife Organics, a Malibu-based juice bar and organic food store, has multiple locations in five states.
Members of the community have come to the aid of the former employees. Erica-Lynn and Alexander Huberty started a GoFundMe for four of them. The crowd-funded financing had raised over $30,000 as of Tuesday afternoon, and an initial goal of $30,000 was raised to $55,000.
“Sadly, the restaurant’s owner thought it was acceptable to let this wonderful team know it was their last day the same day the public learned it: on social media, with less than 24 hrs. notice,” the couple wrote.
Employees said last week that Mr. Ambrose told them on Saturday about the closure. According to Joselyn Sandoval, a former waitress, there were 11 employees total but not everyone left on Sunday.
Mr. Ambrose said in a column in The Sag Harbor Express that he had informed the staff of the imminent closure on Friday and that employees were aware that the building had been for sale for some months prior.
He added that a severance was proposed for each staff member, and that he paid those who left “a small severance” and offered “a bigger severance for those who stayed.”
On Sunday morning, Mr. Ambrose said he arrived to a large group of regular customers hoping to dine at his restaurant one last time. After taking names for a waitlist he headed inside and asked for a picture of the group together on their last day.
“Apparently, that was too much for them to handle, and the floor staff walked out,” he wrote.
“I then abruptly explained that I’d put my family second to the business, and that they are a huge part of the business. I’ve worked another job for years to keep them employed, I’ve treated them with love and kindness, and this is the way they responded on our last day?”
Mr. Ambrose could not be reached for further comment this week.
Ms. Sandoval declined to comment further, but provided a prepared statement.
“After so many years working with the Ambrose family, it’s incredibly hard for us to see things come to an end this way. For us, Estia’s wasn’t just a workplace. Some of our team members have been there for over 25 years. Hearing that the restaurant would be closing the next day was truly shocking, emotional, and frightening to us. Even with such short notice, we came together as a team and chose to work our final day. We wanted to finish strong, say goodbye, and spend time with the customers who have meant so much to us over the years. Many of those relationships go far beyond just service, they’re personal and they matter deeply to us.”
The statement goes on to say, “Unfortunately, just before opening, there was a team meeting where we felt we were spoken to harshly and in a way that didn’t reflect the respect we believe everyone deserves. Given how emotional the situation already was, we felt it was best to step away, as the environment didn’t feel right for us providing the kind of service our customers know from us. That said, we are still thankful to the Ambrose family for the years we were able to be part of Estia’s. We carry with us many great memories. Most importantly, we want to thank our customers for their support, kindness, and loyalty throughout the years. It truly meant everything to us.”
David Hart, an owner of Sen and K Pasa offered the former employees work at K Pasa. Other local businesses, including Amy’s Hardware and East Hampton Kitchen have offered employment through social media outreach. Gone Bananas Bread, a California bakery that sells baked goods at Jack’s Coffee in the village, has also offered them jobs.