CEO of Peach Cobbler Factory resigns after closure of Murfreesboro restaurant | News

MURFREESBORO, TN (WSMV) – The CEO of a restaurant franchise is resigning after the closure of a restaurant in Murfreesboro. 

Pepper+Peach Hot Chicken in Murfreesboro, part of The Peach Cobbler Factory franchise, “closed its doors permanently” on Tuesday. The closure comes “due to declining sales amid the Covid-19 Pandemic.”

“Our heart goes out to our employees who were completely blindsided by this abrupt announcement. Our leadership team, including myself, missed an opportunity to have a better dialogue in the hours leading up to this decision,” the Peach Cobbler Factory posted on its Facebook page on Thursday.

Many employees of the Pepper+Peach Hot Chicken did not know of the closure. 

“Many employees were not aware they would be paid late after this decision, most assumed they would not get paid at all. That is not the case. We have reached out to our staff to communicate when checks will be issued in the coming days to make sure they are paid in full,” the Peach Cobbler Factory posted on its Facebook page.

Since October, the Pepper and Peach had been open for two months and on Tuesday, the doors were padlocked. 

On Tuesday, employees of the Pepper and Peach met outside the restaurant to voice their concerns with signs. Some employees said they were still waiting on paychecks. 

Following the protest, Chief Executive Officer and President of Peach Cobbler Factory Juan Edgerton announced on Facebook that he is resigning from his position. 

“I will no longer have a day to day role in the business I founded. I will miss it, but the company needs new leadership at this time. It’s time to get back to basics…back to excellence. My drive & passion caused us to depart from our core values. I deeply regret that,” Edgerton posted on the Peach Cobbler Factory Facebook page. 

The three other Peach Cobbler Factory locations will remain open.