June 18, 2020
Porta Philadelphia/Facebook
Porta Philadelphia, located on Chestnut Street, apologized for not informing employees that they would have to reapply for their jobs amid plans to reopen in some capacity during the COVID-19 crisis.
Philadelphia's Porta has issued an apology after announcing plans to seek new staff amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has gutted the restaurant industry and left thousands of workers across the city without jobs.
The popular restaurant, owned by Smith Made, closed for both dine-in and takeout service back in March when Pennsylvania's stay-at-home business restrictions first took effect. While outdoor dining service has begun to resume in Philadelphia, Porta has not yet announced plans to reopen.
On Wednesday, Porta Philadelphia posted on Instagram that it plans to hire for all positions at the restaurant. The post did not make any mention of former employees returning to work or reapplying for their jobs.
Later Wednesday, the restaurant posted a lengthy apology for failing to address its employees about plans moving forward.
"We messed up. Our last post about beginning to hire again was meant to start building excitement for Porta Philly’s reopening plans, but we didn’t properly communicate with our former staff before doing so, which made it seem like we were hanging them out to dry," the restaurant said. "We’re very sorry about that – it was not our intention, and we understand how it could be taken that way. To be clear: All of our former employees will be given the first opportunity to be reinterviewed, before we interview anyone else."
The restaurant said it is redesigning its operations and will need to fill new positions.
Some former Porta employees told NBC10 they were "blindsided" by the restaurant's announcement and now have no intention to reapply for a job.
Porta opened in Philadelphia in 2011 and has two other locations in Asbury Park and Jersey City, New Jersey. Smith Made also owns Brickwall Taproom, which has locations in Philadelphia, Burlington and Asbury Park.
The National Restaurant Association reported in April that 96% of Pennsylvania restaurant owners have had to lay off or furlough workers since the beginning of March. An estimated 332,000 Pennsylvania restaurant employees have lost jobs, accounting for about 81% of the workforce.
Porta has not yet announced a date to reopen, but said it hopes to make an announcement in the near future.
