"Just incredibly sad:" Former Adda Coffee and Tea House workers rally in Sharpsburg following sudden closure

SHARPSBURG (KDKA) - Dozens of former employees of Adda Coffee and Tea House rallied Wednesday outside a studio in Sharpsburg, owned by the person, after their place of business suddenly closed all of its shops shortly after telling the owner their intent to unionize.

In frigid temps, Chris Gratsch and his former colleagues came together. They're frustrated, having suddenly lost their jobs, last week when the owner shut down its four locations.

"It's more than anything just incredibly sad," Gratsch said.

There were about 30 employees.

RELATED: Pittsburgh coffee chain closes shortly after workers announce union

Gretsch was a lead barista at the Shadyside store, where he worked for nearly three years. He said they've been unionizing for more than a year, and last Wednesday at a staff meeting they decided to deliver their demand for recognition.

The next evening, they learned the news, the owner saying in a Facebook post, they've "been operating at a loss since the beginning… exacerbated by the pandemic."

Sierra Young was a lead barista at the Garfield location.

"The worst part is that he announced it to us the same time he announced it to the whole public," Young said.

On the heels of the rally, the owner shared more with KDKA, saying they "[came] to the decision to close over the holidays, assuming that there would not be any other route to saving the business." He said it "was solely and entirely based on the financial viability of the business." and added that "the timing has been unfortunate."

"If we were operating in the red for seven years, clearly, it wasn't a problem until that specific day, which I think that timing is a little bit more than unfortunate," Gratsch said.

They're demanding a livable severance, to be able to get their belongings and to make sure PTO is paid out.

"I do kind of feel personally betrayed in some ways," Young said.

In the process, they've received support from local and state leaders, including Lt. Governor Austin Davis.

"What they did is wrong, to announce a closure the day after these workers have organized to form a union is quite frankly unconscionable," Davis said.

Davis said as the days go on, they're going to evaluate what they can and can't do as an administration.