• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Damon's Gears for Courtroom Battle to Close Restaurant: Corporate Says Business Isn't Good Enough

Posted on: Saturday, 25 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By Greg Sowinski, The Lima News, Ohio

Mar. 25--LIMA -- Damon's corporate says business isn't good enough to keep its Lima restaurant open and had planned to close Thursday.

The landlord, RCCC, filed a lawsuit that same day saying Damon's has to honor a 20-year, $15,000-a-month lease. The landlord also got a judge to sign off on a temporary restraining order, keeping the restaurant open at least until an April 6 hearing.

The two will square off in court to see whether Damon's can close its location at 1507 Harding Highway.

RCCC filed the lawsuit in Allen County Common Pleas Court against Damon's Restaurants based in Columbus and Lima Ribs, the franchise owner.

The landlord says closing the store and not paying rent is a breach of contract, according to the lawsuit.

The franchise owner also has fallen behind on paying rent in the past 15 months and owes $105,000, according to the lawsuit.

The landlord's attorney, Mike Rumer of Lima, declined comment.

Damon's spokeswoman Melissa Rapp said closing the Lima location has been talked about for some time due to declining sales. There are no plans to relocate anywhere around the city, she said.

The store opened in 1999 and employs about 50 people, Rapp said.

The local Damon's was 2005 winner for best place for ribs in The Lima News' Best of the Region public-opinion survey published each year. The restaurant has also won in previous years.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Lima News, Ohio

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: The Lima News

More News in this Category