Former Smokey Bones Employee Says Shame on Them For Abrupt Closure

It is no news that the economy is in the gutter right now for pretty much everyone, but what Smokey Bones in Colonie did to their employees is one of the more unforgivable things a big corporation does.

On Tuesday the news came out that all Smokey Bones locations were abruptly closing. This includes the one on Central Avenue in Colonie. While many of us saw this reported from news outlets, including WTEN, Smoke Bones emplyees were left in the dark and only found out when they came to work the next day to find the door closed.

One former employee, Christina Secor, posted a heartfelt video on her social media pages. She worked there for 13 years, though did not currently work at that location. However she did have to notify a few employees that showed up that the restaurant was closed. She said that the employee she had to tell broke down in tears.

Her video has just a simple caption - Shame on you Smokey Bones. Secor said in the video that she dedicated her life to that establishment for 13 years. Her reason for posting the video was to hopefully get the word out to others who may not have known that it had closed, but also in hopes of helping these displaced workers find new jobs around the Capital Region.

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FAT brands, the parent company that owns Smokey Bones, acquired them in 2023. They filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in January of 2026. Every Smokey Bones location is listed as closed on their website.

Just add this to the growing list of places closing up shop in 2026.