ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Chef Art Smith's Homecomin, two businesses at Disney Springs, have laid off all of their employees amid coronavirus closures, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

  • Splitsville and Art Smith's Homecomin at Disney Springs lay off all employees
  • The decision was made amid closures due to the coronavirus
  • Employees will receive their final paychecks

"In this unprecedented time and after much deliberation, we were faced with the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely continue for several months," the spokesperson said in an email to Spectrum News. "It was clear that we had to set a course that would allow our company to be resilient so that at the end of this uncertain road we would have a business for our employees to return to."

"It is the hardest decision we have ever faced."

The decision to terminate all employees was made so workers can collect unemployment benefits or receive any government assistance made available during the pandemic," the statement said.

Terminated workers will be given their final paychecks. Splitsville and Homecomin' will continue to pay health insurance for employees who elected to participate through April 30, according to the spokesperson.

"We are working on a plan to provide daily staff meals," the spokesperson said.

The news of the layoffs comes after Disney World closed its parks and its owned and operated locations in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Splitsville is a two-story upscale bowling alley that also food and live music and Art Smith's Homecomin' comes from celebrity chef Art Smith and offers Southern-style cuisine.