CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - After nearly three years, Freshii Charlottetown, a downtown restaurant that focuses on health food, has closed its doors.
On Tuesday, a sign was posted in the franchise’s door informing customers that it was closing and thanking them for their support.
“It was a very negative experience,” said franchise owner, David (Eli) MacEachern, adding that he was unable to comment further on the closure due to the contractual agreement as a franchise owner.
“I loved the people that I met and I got great compliments on my staff. People thanked me for doing it, but overall, it was a really disappointing experience.”
The franchise on Queen Street opened on April 1, 2015.
MacEachern said he gave staff two-weeks’ pay and sat down with them to explain the situation. He also said he offered to help them find new jobs.
“I had a tremendous staff,” he said.
MacEachern also noted that he had a good relationship with the owners of the building in which the franchise was located.
Freshii was founded in 2005. Today, there are more than 300 franchises globally, including Canada, the U.S., South America, Ireland, London, Sweden, Austria, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, according to the company’s website.
MacEachern is also the owner of Dynamic Fitness in Charlottetown and Fredericton.
MacEachern is well-known to Islanders as a former Olympic athlete and gold medal winner in the 1998 Nagano games in the bobsled competition.
