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Two Rivers Staff Walks Out Over Labor Dispute

Two Rivers Cafe in Downieville closes temporarily due to a labor dispute over wages and work hours.

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Sandy Sanders

Sandy Sanders

January 9, 2025

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The sign on Two Rivers’ door on Wednesday morning

The sign on Two Rivers’ door on Wednesday morning

DOWNIEVILLE — Since last Friday, visitors to the Two Rivers Cafe in Downieville have encountered a sign on the front door stating that the pizza restaurant would be “Closed Until Further Notice.” Though the sign has now changed to “Closed Until Thursday,” it has still left Downieville residents wondering what the future holds for the local eatery.

Speaking with some of the employees as well as General Manager Sahan Chini, it appears the owner, Ali Sherali, and the employees could not come to an agreement on terms of employment. The issues centered around wages and reduced work hours, which coincided with a decline in revenue. The staff ultimately departed, leaving the restaurant without any employees. According to Sahan, the owner will send a new staff group to open the restaurant on Thursday. The restaurant will operate on a limited schedule for the foreseeable future, with plans to be fully open before the tourist season. Mr. Sherali was unavailable for comment.

As for further renovating and occupation of the rest of the properties that the Sherali family owns, it remains unclear what the exact plans are and what timeline exists. Chini said that the family does intend to eventually move the grocery store operation from the current site into the service station building, but it doesn’t appear that will happen in the near future. The Grass Valley-based Sherali family is the largest commercial property owner in Downieville, owning 1.14 acres (49,658 sq. ft.) of commercially zoned property, accounting for 44% of commercial property in the downtown commercial district. They own gas stations and convenience stores throughout Northern California.

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