Benihana, a national chain of Japanese restaurants, plans to lay off up to 43 employees at its Bethesda restaurant according to Maryland Department of Labor records.
The number was included in a filing under the federal Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which requires large employers to give at least 60 days’ notice of business closures and mass layoffs.
An April 3 notice posted by the state Department of Labor indicated that up to 43 Benihana employees in Bethesda would be laid off as of March 16.
Benihana has stayed open for takeout and delivery since March 16, when Gov. Larry Hogan ordered all bars and restaurants to close for sit-down service due to the spread of the coronavirus disease.
It was not immediately clear if the layoffs were related to the spread of the virus.
A manager at the Bethesda restaurant referred all questions about the layoffs on Monday to the company’s corporate headquarters in Florida. Lauren Hall, a company spokeswoman, could not immediately be reached for comment Monday afternoon.
News of the layoffs was first reported by Robert Dyer.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@moco360.media
