A WARN alert from the Texas Workforce Commission reveals dozens of layoffs planned at Grunt Style LLC across its San Antonio and El Paso stores.

A WARN alert from the Texas Workforce Commission reveals dozens of layoffs planned at Grunt Style LLC across its San Antonio and El Paso stores.

William Luther, Staff / Staff

Yet another round of layoffs is expected to strike San Antonio residents before the year’s end. It comes amid recent data showing the average unemployment rate in Texas lingering above the national average.

The latest sweep is impacting San Antonio- and El Paso-area Grunt Style LLC employees, according to a Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification (WARN) notice from the Texas Workforce Commission. Two notices were recorded on Friday, October 2, stating that 28 people will be laid off.

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Alamo City residents will see the most, with a count of 19, per the Texas Workforce Commission. Nine individuals at the El Paso shop will be let go. For both, the layoff start date is listed as Monday, November 30. The San Antonio spot sits at 900 Broadway, and the El Paso-area store is in Canutillo.

Grunt Style is an online and in-person clothing business that describes its mission as “bringing patriotic apparel to every home in America.” Founded in 2009 by Daniel Alarik, a former Army drill sergeant, the brand’s items feature flags, weapons, and military-related phrases. The company is veteran-owned and operated, with 13 locations across the U.S. 

The company has faced some controversy in recent years. In 2020, Alarik was ousted as CEO, a past MySA report cites. That same year, he sued the company, alleging a contract violation. Alarik claimed the company fired him without proper compensation or medical coverage amid his wife’s battle with cancer. Grunt Style officials argued against Alarik’s claims and released screenshots of emails allegedly showing offers to cover medical expenses until negotiations could be resolved.

After Grunt Style founder Daniel Alarik sued the company, it made several accusations against him.

After Grunt Style founder Daniel Alarik sued the company, it made several accusations against him.

Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer

The current CEO is Kevin Corning, a Northwestern University graduate who stepped into the role in October 2025, according to LinkedIn.

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Also in 2020, the San Antonio Express-News reported on claims from some employees, who alleged that the workplace environment was volatile and featured drinking, with at least one referring to it as a “frat house.”

The following year, the company launched the Grunt Style Foundation, a nonprofit that supports military transitions and sustainment, food insecurity, and homelessness, according to the company’s website. 

Most recently, Grunt Style LLC enjoyed a win when, in June 2026, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s ruling in favor of Grunt Style LLC and against TWD, a California party that also sells goods with military-related trademarks, according to online records. TWD filed a complaint against Grunt Style LLC in 2018 alleging trademark infringement, as both sold merchandise with the phrase “This We’ll Defend.”

“The district court found that Grunt Style had established common-law priority in the mark, and dismissed TWD’s claims and cancelled its federal registration,” the order states. “The case went to trial on Grunt Style’s counterclaims, and a jury found TWD liable for infringement.”

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Grunt Style was awarded damages and pre- and post-judgment interest, and the court ordered TWD to stop future use of the mark, court records state.

Grunt Style layoffs outside of Texas

The layoffs are not limited to Texas, per the Springfield Business Journal. The online newspaper reports that 10 layoffs are planned for the Grunt Style at Tanger Outlets Branson in Missouri, also effective next month.

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MySA reached out to Grunt Style via phone and email but did not receive a response regarding the layoffs in time for publication.