fresno claim jumper restaurant closing?

Future of Fresno's Claim Jumper uncertain

Claim JumperFresno's Claim Jumper Restaurant could close as soon as Dec. 18 — leaving 89 people out of work — pending a decision from the chain's new corporate owner.

Houston-based Landry's Restaurants, Inc. announced Oct. 29 that it had acquired 46 Claim Jumper locations throughout the U.S. through a bankruptcy auction with a $76.6 million bid. Irvine-based Claim Jumper filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 10.
The Fresno location was one of several across the county that filed a state layoff notice in anticipation that a new owner would reject some of the leases. The notice states that 89 workers at the restaurant located at the River Park Plaza shopping center could be laid off by Dec. 18 — something the new owner would neither confirm or deny.

"No decision has been made as of today. Hope to know soon," said Mark Augarten, chief operating officer of Claim Jumper Restaurants, in a statement regarding the Fresno location, which opened in 2005.

Landry's Restaurants also announced Monday that it acquired the 32 locations of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., including restaurants in Hollywood, Santa Monica and San Francisco. It now owns more than 200 restaurants across the country. The Rainforest Cafe is another Landry's restaurant concept. It also owns the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nev.

Last month, Tilman Fertitta, Landry's CEO and founder, took the company private with a $1.4 billion buyout.