Groton, CT
The Oh Boy! Diner across from Wal-Mart on Route 184 closed suddenly Monday, leaving scores of regular customers wondering what happened and an estimated 30 to 40 employees out of a job - at least temporarily.

”There was no warning, no nothing,” said Jennifer Wilson of Groton, a single mother with two children who had waitressed at the diner on Fridays and Saturdays for the past few months.

”Some guys came in and just sent everyone home,” said another former employee, who asked not to be identified in case he had a chance to be hired back.

The 24-hour eatery, at the site of the former Rosie's Diner, is expected to reopen in about three weeks as an Italian bistro, former employees said. Aimee Nix, the diner manager who said she will take on multiple roles in the new bistro, added that the eatery will still be open for breakfast.

”We're looking to keep the good employees, the ones who were dedicated to the company,” she said.

Oh Boy! Diner had been owned by John D'Angelo, who has decided to relocate to Texas, according to employees. According to several sources, the business has been sold to Tony D'Angelo, who currently operates the popular New London restaurant Tony D's.

Nix said Tony D'Angelo was too busy getting the new restaurant ready for reopening to comment. She said she was unsure why D'Angelo felt it necessary to close down the diner without warning.

”He's been very fair,” she said. “He's taking over in a very professional way.”

The state Department of Labor said under Connecticut law the new owners of the restaurant were within their rights to terminate the employees and shut down the diner without warning. But a Labor Department spokeswoman said the employees should be paid within a reasonable time for any hours they worked up to the minute of the closing and would be entitled to unemployment compensation.

”You can't fire them and not do the paperwork,” said Anita Cox, the Labor Department spokeswoman.

Neither of the D'Angelos could be reached for comment, despite several attempts. But John D'Angelo told the Ledge Light Health District that the new restaurant would be opening the week of June 20-25.

Two former employees said only about four workers initially were retained from the diner's staff. The others, they said, were fired as soon as the new owners took over, though Wilson said she has not yet received a pink slip.

”I loved working there,” said Wilson, who also does waitressing work at Applebee's. “I loved all the regulars.”

”We did good business,” said another employee, who asked to remain unidentified. “I made more money there than I did at (my other job).”

This employee said she had heard a rumor that the diner might close, but had been assured it was just a rumor.

”I was still shocked,” she said. “It's not easy looking for jobs in the middle of a recession.

”I feel like a better business decision would have been to sit down and interview every single one of us,” she added. “At least then we would have known what's coming.”

Originally published online here: http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=b3630e50-90e0-4910-ad60-8cf59814f2e1