The Ground Round, a Bangor staple of 45 years, closed for good abruptly last weekend due to piping issues in the building, giving staff little notice to find new employment.
The Odlin Road restaurant announced the closure in a Facebook post on Sunday that thanked longtime customers and staff who kept the business afloat through the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges.
Stefanie Williams, Ground Round general manager, said she and other 25 to 35 employees were given 48-hours’ notice before the closure.
“We were all aware there were issues with plumbing and piping here,” Williams said. “The employees had no idea they had to search for another job.”
Dan Tremble, Bangor city councilor, has owned the Ground Round since 2008, according to the city’s councilor information page.
Tremble said he was exploring leasing or selling the property, and originally planned to close the Ground Round in February to give employees plenty of time to find another job.
However, the restaurant experienced a major drain issue last week and a plumber told Tremble the pipes under the building needed to be replaced. The extensive work would take three to four weeks to complete and require crews to dig a three-foot-deep trench down the length of the building.
“It wasn’t worth putting the work off, staying open and risking the drain failing,” Tremble said. “It was unfortunate that it had to be so abrupt. We’ve had tremendous employees over the years, and it was a very tough decision because of how it impacted them, but there was really no other option.”
After the piping work is complete, Tremble will lease the building to another restaurant, which will renovate it in April. Tremble said he hopes to eventually sell the building.
A new restaurant will open in the property in July, Williams said, but it’s unknown what that business will be.