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Mimi's has permanently closed its Greer restaurant. Business was good, some employees weren't, according to general manager.
Mimi Choi, general manager, said the community’s support and customer base was solid. “It was the employees – nobody wants to work anymore,” Mimi, general manager, as she is known, said. “They don’t have any respect to the customers, I retrain so many and for the past six months more employees have lied to me, cheated me, and stole from me.”
Mimi’s flagship restaurant is at 1791 Woodruff Road and a second restaurant is located in Simpsonville. Hibachi, Japanese and Sushi are the core of Mimi’s menu.
“I have cried so many days. Any business owner has to have hands on in our business,” Mimi said. “My closing has not been for the want of patrons. When we first opened we were very strong."
Mimi said she has come across employees who wanted to be paid in cash to keep their disability benefits, others who had relationships and separated and left the business and some who, after training for a job, would message they weren't interested and asked for their pay immediately.
“I had problems hiring and had to close for three weeks one time because of staffing problems. We’ve become a society of takers. My parents were both dishwashers being paid $2.75 an hour in 1979. They had four kids, we lived in an apartment and we all got a college education,” she said.
A handwritten note was taped on the restaurant’s door that read: “Thank you for your support but unfortunately the Mimi’s in Greer is closing permanently. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you will come visit us at our Greenville and Simpsonville location.”