In September 2008, Garry McGuire announced that 24 of 80 employees were being laid off and the days of operation would be reduced from 7 to 3 per week. Attendance figures had never reached either original or updated projections, causing the facility to operate annually in the red since its opening. In November, he announced that the property would be sold due to unsustainable debt. The museum closed on Friday, November 21, 2008. The closure was without warning; visitors who had arrived for scheduled events found a paper notice at the entrance that the center was temporarily closed. The next days' events involving chef Andrew Carmellini and singer Joni Morris were also abruptly cancelled; the museum later stated that it would reopen on December 1. On that day, the organization (with $80 million ($ today) in debt) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The federal bankruptcy court blocked a $2 million ($ today) emergency loan with priority in security, leaving Copia with no funds to resume operations.