Employees left scrambling in aftermath of Annie’s closure

This story was update Saturday to include information from a letter the owner of Annie’s sent to some employees about the nursery’s sudden closure.

Details are slowly emerging about Thursday’s sudden closure of Annie’s Annuals, a beloved nursery in North Richmond known statewide for its vast and eclectic array of rare and exotic plants, including many natives. 

Workers were called to a final meeting at the business Friday morning and told they could pick up their last paychecks. Most only learned they had lost their jobs on Wednesday and one, who said she had worked there since 2013, said she found out from co-workers, not her employer, that they had all been let go. 

Richmondside spoke to a few workers as they left the Friday meeting.

Many said they were angry and had a lot of questions for Annie’s owner, Sarah Hundley, formerly Sarah Hundley Garcia. But Hundley, who purchased the 3-acre nursery in 2021 from its namesake founder, Annie Hayes, was not at the Friday meeting.

The meeting was run by a human resources department. 

Some employees were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to receive severance pay. 

One agreement was shared, in confidence, with Richmondside. The multi-page document essentially offered the employee about $1,300 to help “ease the transition to other employment” as long as he/she didn’t sue apisRegina Inc. dba [doing business as] Annie’s Annuals, or speak or act negatively toward the business or its employees, workers, managers, or directors. 

But some of the nursery workers with whom Richmondside spoke on Friday said they had not been told anything about severance pay.

Jesus Magana, a nursery manager who spent 11 years working for the company, said he was surprised that the nursery had shuttered without any notice. “It’s very strange that the business is closing so suddenly because it was doing very well,” he said “There were always a lot of customers and a lot of online orders. It’s definitely suspicious.” 

Magana is worried how he will support his wife and three children, who rely on his salary. 

“The owner always said that we should tell her at least a week in advance if we were leaving, but she couldn’t even return this same courtesy. It’s very disappointing,” he said.

It’s unclear how many people Annie’s employed, with workers’ estimates ranging from 40 to 100. A social media post by Hundley in 2022 stated she had 80 employees. 

Alejandra Guzman spent four years working at Annie’s taking online orders. A single mother of a 9-year-old son, Guzman worries about how she will now make ends meet, especially since she is not eligible for unemployment benefits due to her immigration status. 

“It would have been nice to have three or four weeks’ advance notice that they were closing so that we could prepare,” she said. 

Guzman and others said Hundley was not very involved in day-to-day affairs of the nursery and only came in occasionally. 

An early sign of trouble — online orders stopped working

Employee Karen Taylor said she began getting an inkling that the business was closing after she started receiving calls from customers about not being able to make online purchases on Monday. However, gift cards continued to be sold in recent days, according to Taylor – something numerous customers told Richmondside they’re angry about, some even saying they’re considering filing small claims lawsuits.

Melanie Williams, head of seed propagation and an employee at Annie’s on and off since 2013, told Richmondside that the business could have as much as $500,000 in outstanding gift cards. When asked about that sizable amount, she replied simply, “It’s a popular place.”

In a statement and FAQ posted on Annie’s website Thursday, a note signed by Hundley attributed the closure to business challenges and to her health. She wrote: “I feel it’s important to share that my health has played a significant role in reaching this point. Over the past few months, I have faced serious and unexpected health challenges. 

“… Sadly, despite my best efforts, the challenges— both personal and business-related — escalated much faster than I ever anticipated, and I could no longer maintain business operations.”

Richmondside has reached out to Hundley for comment several times, and hasn’t heard back.

While some employees heard via word-of-mouth that they no longer had jobs, some received a letter signed by Hundley that acknowledged the short notice, saying “I know how sudden and unsettling this is, and I’m truly sorry I was unable to give you the time and support you deserve.”

The abrupt closing has been a popular topic of conversation on multiple social media sites, a testament to the tremendous affection people had for Annie’s. Expressions of sadness and shock dominate the conversations, with Annie’s fans weighing in locally and from afar. 

Loyal customers are also exchanging tips about where to buy plants now that the nursery has closed. Some say they wish there could be a cooperative purchase to keep Annie’s as the urban oasis it’s been since it opened in Richmond in 2001. 

Customers caught unaware on Annie’s final day

On its final day, many shoppers had no idea Annie’s was closing. They arrived at the 740 Market Ave. garden center to find a note on the fence announcing the news. Later that day, the website was updated with the same message.

An employee who asked not to be identified described a poignant rescue operation Thursday, as worried workers scurried to save as many Annie’s plants as possible, toting them to cars. This wasn’t to resell them or make money, she said, but to save them from dying.

“There’s heritage plants there, plants that are only grown at Annie’s,” she said. “Once they’re gone, they’re gone.” 

Meanwhile, Virginia Harrison of El Cerrito, long involved in efforts to control feral cat populations in west Contra Costa  County, was hurriedly talking to nursery employees, and taking to social media, to find good homes for Annie’s three resident felines, who started as ferals.

As of Friday, Harrison, who has cared for ferals in and around Annie’s for years, said she’s found homes for all of the nursery’s three frequently sighted feline residents — Cappuccino, and a bonded pair, Poe and Cinder Block. 

Hayes, who started her garden empire in her Berkeley backyard in the 1980s, has not commented publicly about recent developments.

Williams said she and other employees have been in touch with her and that Hayes is traveling out of the country but is aware of the situation.

“(Hayes) is devastated,’ she said. Another employee who asked not to be named said she had also talked to Hayes and reported that she is “heartbroken.”

Richmondside editor Kari Hulac contributed to this report.