Two Granny’s Kitchen restaurants in the Oklahoma City area have gone dark, and workers say their paychecks disappeared right along with them. Staff from the Midwest City and Memorial Road locations say the doors were suddenly locked this week, their most recent pay never showed up, and managers stopped answering calls. One employee said her daughter is short about $700, and multiple workers say they have been scrambling to track down wages while the restaurants remain shuttered. The shutdowns come amid a dispute between franchise partners, and one co-owner says he is trying to get money to staff.
As reported by KFOR, employees including Kylie Holloway told News 4, "we're not getting paid. nothing is fine if you actually look into it." Franchisee Alex Sbeity acknowledged a financial dispute with a co-owner and said he is attempting to pay workers through Cash App and Zelle. KFOR also reported that worker Sarah Hernandez said her daughter is owed about $700.
Stores Still Listed on the Chain’s Site
Online, you would never know anything is wrong. The Granny’s Kitchen website still lists both the Midwest City and Memorial Road locations as if they are open for business, complete with local phone numbers and posted hours. Those entries remain live on the locations page even as employees say the doors are locked and they are waiting on pay.
How Workers Can Seek Help
Workers who believe they were shorted can file a wage claim with the Oklahoma Department of Labor, which handles state wage-and-hour complaints and provides forms and instructions for filing. Federal help is also available through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division for unpaid minimum-wage or overtime claims at dol.gov. The state agency reports it recovered more than $1.1 million in unpaid wages in Fiscal Year 2024.
Company Response and Owner Dispute
According to KFOR, a company representative said "an investigation is underway and the company is working to transfer employees and get them paid." The station reported that franchisor officials are looking into claims involving franchisee Alex Sbeity, who told reporters he has been trying to send direct payments to workers using peer-to-peer payment apps. It is not yet clear whether any formal wage complaints or legal actions have been filed.
For now, affected workers say they are juggling bills and waiting for answers while the franchisor and franchisee sort through their dispute. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
