Local Backyard Burgers in the metro area remain closed

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - A drive-thru that would normally be lined up with cars waiting to place an order now remains empty after closing without any explanation from owners.

Employees say they need answers.

“A phone call is not a way to tell people that they don’t have a job,” said Jaemal Thompson.

That phone call coming Wednesday morning. According to employees, the district manager told all stores to end operations and release all workers from their duties immediately.

“So I called back and asked him if this was a joke. He said, ‘No, it’s serious.’ I said, ‘So what do you want us to do?’ He said to ‘tell the staff to leave and customers to leave and locked the doors and go home. You don’t have a job anymore.’”

Thompson is the general manager at the Flowood Backyard Burgers. He tells 3 On Your Side that he has not heard back from anyone in the corporate office in Nashville about why they are closing.

He also learned that their health benefits are canceled.

“I went to the dentist, and they said it wasn’t no coverage,” Thompson said. “When I spoke with one of the leaders, she said that the insurance comes out of our salary check, but there’s no coverage. Where is the money going to?”

In the meantime, Thompson and his employees are still waiting to be paid.

“I been getting backlash being that I don’t have answers for them because I’m in the same boat. They are calling for their checks. A lot of them didn’t get their checks today. I don’t have answers. At least give us our pay,” said Thompson. “This is what we worked for, and why are we putting in for benefits that we can’t even use.”

3 On Your Side tried calling the company to get a comment or statement about the store closures but failed to get a response.

For now, the only Backyard Burgers location that remains open is the one in Madison.

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