Doors closed on spud shop
The baked potato chain Spudulike has been plunged into administration – with job losses at Braehead, in Renfrew.
The shopping centre branch is one of five axed across Scotland.
Staff have been told their wages and holiday entitlement will not be paid.
Administrators Evolve IS confirmed the position in a letter sent to employees.
It states: “I understand you were an employee of the company.
“This letter is written confirmation that your employment is terminated as at today’s date by reason of redundancy.
“Due to the company’s current financial position it is not able to make payments to you for monies due such as arrears of pay, holiday pay, redundancy pay and compensatory notice pay.”
Administrators were appointed to the stricken company last Thursday evening. Staff have been told their jobs are gone after the firm’s finances collapsed.
Employees at one restaurant claim they were told “20 minutes before” their branch was due to open.
One employee, who wanted to remain anonymous, insisted the closures will see some “struggling to live”.
They said: “It’s disgusting how the staff are being treated and dismissed without even a day’s notice, with people unable to pay bills and struggling to live.
“An email was sent from head office 20 minutes before we were due to open, claiming the business is not to open and all staff made redundant from this moment without any notice.”
A message from Spudulike’s head office to workers insisted the business had been “under financial pressure”.
Management maintained they had been “exploring various options” to “try and preserve all, or part” of its workforce.
The email added: “We are this morning effecting a shut down across all locations operated by the group.
“This will involve the redundancy of all staff with effect from this morning.”
Spudulike had locations across England and Scotland – including Braehead, Livingston, Edinburgh and Dundee.
It operated three trading companies, T& G Fast Food Developments Ltd, Courts Quality Foods Ltd and SpudU-Like Ltd.
Its first restaurant opened in 1974 in the Scottish capital.
Management turned to franchising to expand the business in the later 1970s.