Palmer Burger King closes

PALMER -- Burger King officials abruptly closed their Palmer store Wednesday, apparently with no warning to employees.

Two former workers appeared shocked as they left the building at 4:30 p.m. They said management asked them not to discuss the situation.

Likewise, a store manager in Palmer refused to talk about the closure. Signs on the front door, drive-through ordering and serving windows announced the store was "temporarily closed."

The signs list the Anchorage phone number for Restaurants Northwest Inc., a franchisee of Burger King Corp., for more information. Calls to offices there were not returned Thursday morning.

Despite the semi-darkened store interior, several motorists pulled off of Evergreen Avenue during Wednesday's rush hour and headed for the drive-through.

Meanwhile, the Wasilla Burger King remains open. A spokeswoman for the store said Thursday that former Palmer employees possibly will be added to the Wasilla staff.

However, the spokeswoman said she did not know how many workers had been employed at Palmer, or how many might join the Wasilla staff. She said she hadn't been told details of the closure, including whether Burger King hopes to re-open the store.

Retail business along Evergreen Avenue was disrupted in late August and September when portions of the roadway were closed during a project to lay new water pipes, part of a $500,000 pipe project throughout Palmer. Most Evergreen Avenue businesses, including Burger King, remained open during construction.