The Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse near the Maine Mall in South Portland closed suddenly this week, putting 60 people out of work and leaving only two locations open in a restaurant chain that started in the 1990s.
The Bugaboo Creek in Bangor closed last week, leaving 19 people jobless following Bugaboo Creek closures last month in Newington, New Hampshire, and Milford, Massachusetts.
The Maine Department of Labor has scheduled a Rapid Response session Tuesday afternoon to assist Bugaboo Creek workers in Greater Portland, who are eligible for unemployment benefits and other services.
“There is high demand in the restaurant sector right now for workers, so the focus of Rapid Response will be on connecting these workers with re-employment,” said Julie Rabinowitz, department spokeswoman.
The Rapid Response session will include information about job opportunities, health insurance options and unemployment benefits.
Since 2010, Bugaboo Creek has closed all but two of its restaurants in a protracted period of restructuring that included going through bankruptcy, securing new ownership and shuttering dozens of locations throughout the Northeast. The chain is known for its rustic decor recalling the Canadian Rockies.
The two remaining Bugaboo Creek restaurants are in Newark, Delaware, and Nashua, New Hampshire, where an employee reached Friday afternoon by phone said workers there have been told that its closure is imminent.
Tuesday’s Rapid Response session will be held at 1 p.m. at the Greater Portland CareerCenter, 151 Jetport Boulevard in Portland. Affected workers also may call the career center at 822-3300 or 877-594-5627.
Employees affected by the Bugaboo Creek closure in Bangor may call the Bangor CareerCenter for individual Rapid Response assistance at 561-4050 or 888-828-0568. TTY users may call Maine Relay 711.
Visit www.MaineCareerCenter.com to learn more about the department’s services or to search for employment opportunities in Maine’s Job Bank.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
