Former Greenbush Brewing Company employees speak out after abrupt shutdown

SAWYER, Mich. -- Former employees of the recently closed Greenbush Brewing Company in Sawyer are speaking out.

They say they haven't been contacted by the restaurant's owner since the final day of operations.

Employees walked into Greenbush Brewing Company nearly 10 days ago, not knowing it would be their last time on the clock.

Greenbush shift lead Tiffany Kappel woke up Tuesday, April 14, thinking it was her normal Tuesday off of work.

What she didn't know was that she no longer had a job, and the brewery was no more.

"I want to say it was approximately about 10 a.m., that the owner sent out the message, left off a very brief message, saying that he was going to make a longer, more descriptive message for us and then, when that did come out, it was very descriptive of him telling us that we no longer have a job and they tried everything they could in their power is more or less what he was trying to say," said Kappel.

Six years of employment at Greenbush for Tiffany ending in an abrupt fashion.

Jazlyn Robinson worked at the restaurant for only about a year and was the manager on duty for the final evening.

"I was really hurt honestly, these people have families themselves, and you've got to understand that that's why you have these jobs, to provide for your families and to have stability and everything, just kind of felt like a wrench was completely thrown in that, with no notice," said Robinson.

Kappel and Robinson haven't heard a word from the brewery's owner since the final day.

I attempted to reach out to the owner on Facebook and via phone and did not get a response.

This sudden end to her employment now has Tiffany unsure if she will be able to financially help her son go to his junior prom, something the two of them have been counting on and looking forward to for months.

"I literally broke down in tears because I never got to attend any of my proms, so it's always been kind of a life dream to be able to set that up for my children, and for him and his excitement, to have to kind of burst his bubble and everything, so disheartening. I cried and cried and tried to figure out what else to do," said Kappel.

In that group message received by the now former employees, Greenbush's owner assured them they would not miss a paycheck.

According to Jazlyn, she's still waiting to be paid.

"I am currently one of two employees that haven't been paid still, and I've tried to correspond with them for the past six days about it and have not heard anything," said Robinson.