Why did the Delafield Applebee's close? Questions remain following unexpected eviction

DELAFIELD - The Applebee's successful Delafield has closed, but for concern reasons that remained unclear 3 days aft the fact.

At least, the enactment that culminated successful the restaurant's abrupt closing, a March 25 eviction initiated by the proprietor of the commercialized spot astatine 3100 Golf Road for unpaid rent, caught Delafield metropolis officials by astonishment — to the grade that they weren't made alert of what occurred until the process was complete.

Mayor Tim Aicher himself has spent a small spot of clip trying to portion unneurotic constricted bits of accusation presently available. Aicher said helium recovered retired astir the abrupt closing and eviction done a memo sent by the Delafield Police Department, which had assisted the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office successful the execution of the eviction.

It near him wondering what's going on. "I privation I did (know)," helium said Friday successful a telephone interview. "I truly don't."

Delafield Applebee's fell nether caller eviction process

According to online tribunal records, the section outlet for the nationalist edifice concatenation was formally evicted by the spot owner, New York-based Nagawaukee MZL LLC, astir 3 weeks aft a court-ordered enactment successful Waukesha County Circuit Court.

According to media reports, including the Milwaukee Business Journal and WISN TV, employees were ushered retired without informing connected Tuesday.

The eviction order, which started with a tribunal summons and ailment connected Feb. 13, was finalized nether a default judgement erstwhile a typical for the tenant, SBG Apple North VII LLC, failed to be a March 3 hearing. Court documents indicated tens of thousands of dollars successful lease payments were owed, seemingly closing the doorway permanently pursuing the eviction.

However, different eviction process proceeding known arsenic a instrumentality day was scheduled this week for May 5. It's unclear if that proceeding volition unfastened the doorway for the tenant institution to belatedly respond to the eviction order.

The concern has near itself unfastened to speculation, which Aicher said helium and Delafield metropolis unit officials person engaged successful arsenic they effort to marque consciousness of it all. He added helium wasn't alert of immoderate concern concerns, specified arsenic a deficiency of patronage, that indicated an eviction mightiness beryllium coming. Even then, helium assumed a landlord would take to debar leaving a gathering vacant, alternatively "ride it on and bargain time" with a existent tenant until idiosyncratic other expressed interest.

"Typically, you wouldn't evict idiosyncratic unless you had different tenant," Aicher said, acknowledging metropolis officials are unaware of immoderate of the details. "The idiosyncratic who knows the astir would beryllium the spot owner, and I bash not person a nonstop enactment with them."

The politician said the eviction dampened the enthusiasm of Delafield officials for section edifice tract revitalizations arsenic established chains antecedently vacated cardinal spots successful the city. Those included the emergence of a caller Olive Garden astatine the tract wherever a Perkins franchise operated for decades and the improvement of a Bubbles car lavation connected the onshore wherever a Hardee's fast-food franchise stood.

"We thought we had creaseless sailing, with afloat leased-out tenants each doing well, and past this conscionable came retired of the blue," Aicher said.

Applebee's closing creates speculation astir the chain

The quality of the closing of the Delafield Applebee's determination coincides with different caller trends and quality concerning the concatenation nationally and successful the Milwaukee metropolitan market.

The West Allis Applebee's astatine 2865 S. 108th St., besides owned by SBG Apple North, closed precocious arsenic a effect of an eviction, though was inactive listed arsenic "temporarily closed" connected its Facebook page.

The Pewaukee determination on Capitol Drive closed successful 2024, and the Oak Creek determination astatine 7135 S. 13th St. closed for a portion owed to "health concerns" successful precocious 2024. Other locations that closed since 2000 see sites successful Brookfield and New Berlin.

The genitor company, Dine Brands, of Applebee's and IHOP announced successful aboriginal March that it plans a associated task of the 2 brands. Under the concept, arsenic reported by USA Today, dual-branded restaurants could unfastened successful the U.S., an effort to grow connected the occurrence of combined Applebee's-IHOP restaurants internationally.

Dine Brands besides announced successful February that its Applebee's president, Tony Moralejo, would measurement down March 4. He was replaced by Dine Brands CEO John Peyton arsenic interim president.

Whether immoderate of that is related to country Applebee's closures isn't clear. Efforts to interaction Applebee's firm representatives were not instantly successful.

Contact newsman Jim Riccioli at  [email protected].

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Delafield Applebee's closes pursuing eviction by spot owner