Carlos O’Kelly’s employees, replacement the priority, White says

The imminent closure of Carlos O’Kelly’s will lead to some prospect mining for Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development Executive Director Aaron White.

The restaurant announced Friday it would close its doors in Hays permanently at 10 p.m. Sunday, a move that will displace 45 full- and part-time workers.

One of first orders of business for White is to ensure those workers get the help they need to land new jobs.

“Our office will focus us on finding a replacement/redevelopment for the site, and also making sure that the appropriate workforce agencies are aware that a closure is occurring, as the displaced employees will qualify for workforce development programs in their efforts to find new employment,” White told Hays Post on Friday evening.

The company cited what it called an “untenable lease” situation as the reason for the closure. White said the franchise owner is an out-of-town interest with “little to no interaction” with his office.

But the location, at the primary gateway to the community off Interstate 70, “has potential.”

“I have been working with a couple of national chains looking for space in Hays, so there are some likely prospects that I will reach out to immediately,” White said.

The restaurant also had informally agreed to be a part of a proposed community improvement district that would help fund a possible convention center project on the city’s north edge. The loss of that revenue from the proposed CID, which has yet to be formally presented to the Hays City Commission, won’t substantially change the convention center plans.

“The restaurants in the district, individually, are a very small percentage of the revenue generation,” White said. “The site can still be added to the district, and any follow-on business would be included for the life of the district.”