Searsucker Recloses on the Las Vegas Strip, Laying Off 52 Employees

Searsucker, the restaurant from Hakkasan Group that offers twists on American classics, reclosed temporarily on August 15 at Caesars Palace.

Hakkasan sent a letter to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation as part of the WARN Act noting that it closed and laid off 52 people, including part-time staff, “due to the unforeseen business circumstances caused by the spread of COVID 19, the Governor of Nevada’s declaration of emergency and resulting executive orders which have required Searsucker to operate at a reduced capacity, the recommendations and/or orders regarding public gatherings issued by the CDC and various other government agencies and officials, and the resulting unforeseen economic impacts that the foregoing circumstances have caused to our business.”

Normally, companies need to give 60 days’ notice that they are laying off staff, but Hakkasan says, “Unfortunately, further advance notice of this cessation of operations was not possible due to the fluid and rapidly evolving nature of the COVID 19 pandemic.”

The restaurant does plan to reopen at some point.

The restaurant originally reopened on July 2 at the resort on Thursday through Saturday nights with reduced seating, suggested reservations, and QR codes for accessing the menu. Employees affected included line cooks, servers, dishwashers, prep cooks, bartenders, hosts, and the general manager.

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