Bobcat Bonnie’s Workers Allege Bounced Paychecks and Poor Treatment at Michigan Restaurants

The owner of the nine-year-old regional gastropub chain Bobcat Bonnie’s appears to be shedding restaurants. In recent weeks, restaurateur Matthew Buskard has closed two of Bobcat’s half-dozen locations concentrated mostly in southeast Michigan, and operations have returned to the previous owners of a third restaurant, the Fly Trap in Ferndale. The upheaval comes as individuals have taken to social media platforms in recent weeks alleging bounced checks and inconsistent shift scheduling, in addition to accusations of poor treatment by management. Workers say they’re prepared to demonstrate outside of the Ferndale Bobcat location on Thursday, October 17. Employees were informed on-site by Buskard after dinner service on Sunday, October 13, that operations at the location at 200 West Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti would be temporarily suspended, according to the Detroit Free Press. Basement bar Keystone Bar & Arcade, was also temporarily closed. The news was later shared on the Instagram account Bobcats United, which represents workers for the restaurant chain, with a screenshot of a letter allegedly sent by Buskard addressed to “Ypsi Friends.” The letter went on to inform workers that the company would be suspending operations at the location while a member of the team sets up times to hear staff members’ concerns over reports of “inappropriate and/or harassing behavior.” [Media: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBJ2bm8vV9J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link%5Cu0026igsh%3DMzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D] As of Wednesday, October 16, a representative for Bobcat Bonnie’s confirms in an emailed statement to Eater that the Ypsilanti location is permanently closed. “Like many small restaurants, we are shrinking our footprint so we can be more focused on our other locations throughout Michigan,” the statement reads. Regarding the allegations made by employees, Bonnie’s management did not address specific concerns. However, management writes: “It is incredibly hurtful to see negative commentary because we have always taken great pride in our place in the community. We are open to suggestions and changes in this ever-evolving restaurant industry. Bobcat Bonnie’s will always be committed to being a place folks can take pride in working, in an environment that celebrates them and to address any issue quickly and competently.” Reached by Eater on Wednesday, Bobcat United was unable to immediately provide comment on the situation. A website linked to the Bobcats United Instagram account reads simply: “Bobcat Workers: WE. DESERVE. MORE. Our paychecks are bouncing. Our hours are unbelievable. Our schedules come out at the last moment. Our restaurants are grossly mismanaged. Our managers degrade and demean us. This is IMPERMISSIBLE and INSULTING.” Organizers plan to picket outside of the Ferndale location on Thursday, October 17, through Sunday, October 20. According to an Instagram post published early Wednesday, October 16 by the Michigan Mutual Aid Coalition advertising what’s being described as an emergency picket line, “management has refused to stop bouncing checks and making inappropriate comments to employees.” “On October 7th, a group of [11] Bobcat Bonnie’s workers from the Ypsilanti location delivered a petition signed by nearly 90 [percent] of the staff demanding that our paychecks do not bounce anymore, consistent scheduling, better training systems, and to stop inappropriate comments from management,” says a Bobcats United Instagram post published on Tuesday, October 15 announcing the planned protest. “Less than a week later, after our dinner service on October 13th, we were told our store is ‘temporarily suspended,’ with no return date in sight.” At the time of the post, Bobcats United suggested that workers were unclear if or when they would be able to return to work — though based on statements from management on Wednesday, it appears the closure is permanent. Bobcat’s management confirms that “a handful of Ypsilanti staff members” brought written complaints and demands to the corporate office on October 7. Management continues: “We spoke immediately with the individuals to address the issues. We brought in an employment attorney because we wanted to take the allegations seriously.” However, management claims that communication with these staff members broke down in the following days. “We reached out to these staff members again to investigate the claims further and have been rebuffed twice,” management’s statement to Eater alleges. A previous statement issued by Bobcats United on Friday, October 11, alleges that several staff members experienced returned paychecks after working on Labor Day. A few days later, six employees gathered and discussed writing a petition so co-workers throughout the company could address their concerns and have them delivered to corporate. In the following weeks, workers say they learned that colleagues at other locations shared similar concerns. According to the post, signatures were collected from about 90 percent of staff. The post did not specify which store or stores were impacted by returned paychecks, nor was it clear how many employees signed the petition. The statement went on to say that 11 employees gathered to deliver the petition, speaking with the company’s chief financial officer and spreading the word about their grievances with employees at stores throughout Michigan. The post went on to encourage readers to leave a comment on the social media pages for each location, send an email to Buskard, or to find out other ways to get involved. Subsequently, on Saturday, October 12, Bobcat Bonnie’s announced on its social platforms that starting Monday, October 14, announcements from all of its locations would be posted on the original account. [Media: https://www.instagram.com/p/DBFG9biPmv7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link%5Cu0026igsh%3DMzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D] The dust-up comes as the Bobcat Bonnie’s lone Macomb County location at the Mall at Partridge Creek shuttered over the summer after four years of business, and as ownership of the chain announced that the Fly Trap, a Ferndale dining institution that the restaurant group took over in early 2022, would return to its previous operators. Earlier this week, Buskard confirmed on the Fly Trap’s Instagram account that he was returning the all-day brunch spot to its previous owners, Kara and Gavin McMillian; prior to Buskard’s takeover, the pair temporarily Fly Trap closed beginning several months prior, citing troubles with staffing and difficulties striking a work-life balance. In the weeks before the Partridge Creek closure was announced, news broke that Buskard had taken ownership of another Ferndale-based business, M-Brew, which has been recast as Scout Vester. Meanwhile, according to the company’s website, Bobcat Bonnie’s first Ohio location in Toledo is “coming soon.” In the post regarding the Fly Trap, Buskard referenced a changing dining world, noting that moving forward his focus would have to be “smaller and less divided.” “I am spreading myself so incredibly thin- and it’s letting everyone around me- friends, family, customers, community and investors, down. I’m not able to be as connected as I would like to be in any of those relationships. You always think of yourself as that entrepreneur that has the capacity to take on an incredible amount- until you realize that you too- are human and can only handle so much.” Eater will update this post if more information becomes available.