By Tricia Pursell
HUMMELS WHARF -- Patrons of a Snyder County restaurant say their Christmas was ruined after they purchased, just before the holiday, more than $100 in gift cards to the establishment which closed without warning just a few days later and after only eight months in operation.
Judy Womer, of Mount Pleasant Mills, said she bought gift cards to the Golden Grill and Buffet, formerly located along Routes 11-15 in Hummels Wharf, as Christmas gifts for her grandchildren. Three days later, she said, a “for lease” sign was displayed in front of the building, and the restaurant was no longer in business.
“It’s like the ‘Grinch Who Stole Christmas,’ ” Womer said. “They didn’t get no Christmas gift, and we’re out of our money.”
Her daughter, a Northumberland resident who asked not to be identified, purchased six or seven gift cards on Christmas Eve, each worth between $20 and $30.
“I wasn’t a happy camper,” she said, when she learned the restaurant shut down less than a week later.
“I want restitution, so does my mom, and probably a lot of other people,” she said.
An employee with the leasing company, Keister Construction Inc., of Winfield, said the business officially closed at the end of the year, but declined to provide any further details.
Attempts to reach the former owners of the restaurant — Carlos Rivera and Robin Kitchens — were unsuccessful last week.
The State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office told The Daily Item they had no part in shutting down the business, and no investigations are being conducted. The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Health, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Middle District of Pennsylvania also said they have no records involving this restaurant or its owners.
Snyder County First Assistant District Attorney Michael Hudock said those who are still holding gift cards may want to file a civil suit or contact the state police, so they can investigate the matter further.
Consumers may also contact the office of the attorney general for help.
“We’d encourage them to file a formal complaint so we can investigate and determine whether or not anything is recoverable,” a spokesman from the office said. He also suggested that patrons purchase gift cards in moderation.
The attorney general’s consumer protection hot line is (800)441-2555. More information is available at www.attorneygeneral.gov.
The Golden Grill and Buffet opened in June. Rivera has opened 17 restaurants in his former city of Carlisle, and owned two of them. He sold his last one recently in order to move to the Central Susquehanna Valley.
Crews for the restaurant started renovations in May on the former Golden Corral building, which was last leased by Family Steakhouse Buffet. The building had previously been vacant for two years.
Golden Grill & Buffet employed approximately 20 full-time and part-time workers.
