by GaryF » Sat Jan 27, 2018 1:49 am
I have worked for Dean for the last ten years and have watched as this has played out.
I would ask for a moment of your time to explain some of what is going on with the gift cards.
Although Dean had his name on the building and was the face of the place he was actually a minority investor in the endeavor. If it were up to him the place would still be open.
It was always run as a totally separate business from Equus which has been Dean's baby for the last 38 years. There was never any reciprocity between the two restaurants,they never accepted our cards and we never accepted theirs since they were two separate entities.
Since the closing Dean has tried to get the investors on board to paying back the guests who purchased the gift cards, but to no avail.
As anyone who has worked in this industry knows, restaurants survive on a slim profit margin, and if Equus had to take on the responsibility of honoring another business's debts it too would not last long.
Dean is heartbroken about the closing, and burdened by letting his guests down. I can assure you all he is not doing this out of meanness or greed, and he understands how badly it reflects on him, but his hands are tied.
Thank you for your time.