DENVER (KDVR) — Meow Wolf, an attraction known for opening the portals of imagination and possibility, let go of dozens of employees at its Convergence Station location in Denver.
According to the CEO, Jose Tolosa, 165 positions have been cut nationwide as part of an effort to cut expenses.
On Wednesday, the company announced it would be cutting expenses by 10% nationwide and 50 people at the Denver location were laid off as a result.
“They just slowly started pulling people into the office and then releasing them and escorting out them just like one by one throughout that whole day,” said Rosa Gasdia, a former employee of Meow Wolf.
Gasdia said her job in retail was safe, but some of her managers were cut.
“Two managers that were let go were like, my two favorite people there. So, as soon as I heard that — my jaw dropped when I heard that. I was like, there’s no way, that’s not possible,” she said.
Gasdia said there were signs that something like this might happen, especially when she said her hours were cut from 20 to sometimes one shift a week.
“Some of those were only like four-hour shifts, some of them were like six-hour shifts.”
On Wednesday, Tolosa released a statement:
Today, Meow Wolf notified our colleagues that we will soon be cutting expenses by 10% and reducing our workforce by 165 people company-wide in order to right-size the business to ensure future success. When we opened our first exhibitions, we were inventing an operating model from scratch. Over the past three years, we’ve developed a better understanding of our guests and what we need to staff and support our exhibitions in order to make the most of the growth opportunities ahead, including our Houston location that opens later this year. Saying goodbye to friends and colleagues who have been a big part of Meow Wolf’s success to date will not be easy. We are grateful for their contributions, both creatively and to our community. And we are committed to supporting everyone through this transition as we move forward.
Gasdia said he communicated that to the remaining employees company-wide in a Zoom meeting.
“He started saying a lot of different things too that were seemingly contradicting himself. Like he’d say something that was absolutely not supportive of letting go of these 50 people,” Gasdia said.
By then, she said she decided she was ready to leave.
“That was my, like the last straw actually,” she said.
Shortly after that, she left her job after working there for nearly eight months.
A spokesperson for Meow Wolf told FOX31 that “lower than expected attendance at all Meow Wolf locations was a key part of these cuts, but Meow Wolf also made the decision in order to continue to grow sustainably.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.