Ten days after the Walt Disney Company announced the closure of the Walt Disney World Resort due to the coronavirus pandemic, Delaware North Cos Inc., parent company of Patina Restaurant Group announced a reduction of their full-time workforce.

In a statement the company said, “Because of the sheer size of the company’s workforce and the uncertainty over when the crisis will subside, Delaware North CEOs Jerry Jacobs Jr., Lou Jacobs and Charlie Jacobs have made the agonizing but unavoidable decision to place more than two-thirds of the company’s 3,100 full-time employees on temporary leave.”

The statement continues, “Delaware North is taking these temporary steps to ensure the company’s long-term success. The Jacobs family and Delaware North hope the crisis will be short-lived and greatly appreciate the talented and passionate employees who have made the company successful and hope they remain healthy and safe.”

Today, according to Richard Bilbao, Digital Producer/Senior Staff Writer for the Orlando Business Journal, the company notified the State of Florida [on 9 July 2020] that “it is unsure when it will be able to call back 1,030 workers who were laid off in the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

The Patina Restaurant Group operate Tutto Italia Ristorante, Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria, and Tutto Gusto at the Italy Pavilion at EPCOT and Enzo’s Hideway, Maria & Enzo’s, Pizza Ponte, Morimoto Asia, The Edison, and Vivoli il Gelato at Disney Springs. Currently all of these outlets are open with the exception of Enzo’s Hideway, Maria & Enzo’s and The Edison.

According to Bilbao, 505 employees at the Disney resort are directly affected by the latest news. “The exact location of where the Disney-area workers were employed was not specified in documents,” reported Bibao. “But addresses trace back to various restaurants including Tutto Italia at Disney’s Epcot, Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs, Vivoli il Gelato at Disney Springs and a nearby union office.”

In an email, a spokesperson for Delaware North told the Orlando Business Journal, “A number of our Patina Restaurant Group’s employees in restaurants we operate in the Orlando area have been on temporary leave since April. They recently were notified that as a result of Covid-19’s ongoing impact on the business, the leave could be extended through September or beyond. We are thankful we have been able to recall a number of employees since May as we re-opened those restaurants with limited hours and appropriate health and safety measures under our Dine Safe program for guests and employees.”

 
Feature Image: Chip & Co.