Tough economic times and a soaring lease price has forced Scobee Grill– a landmark restaurant on Northern Boulevard for more than 50 years – to close its doors on Sunday, November 28, according to long-time co-owner Harry Pallas.
“Customers are very upset. It’s heartbreaking to have to leave after so many years,” said Pallas, who has been an owner for 51 years. “With the economy the way it is . . . it was just a question of when.”
Pallas and three other proprietors have been negotiating with the landlord, the Hageman family, for over 10 years to buy the property, but an agreement could not be reached. The owners agreed that paying reportedly double the previous lease price would not make fiscal sense; therefore they decided to close the grill on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
“We could have sold the business. We are putting the key in the door and walking away,” said Pallas, who articulated his disappointment with the landlords but would not go into specifics of the lease.
The Scobee Grill employs approximately 40 workers. Future plans for the property are not currently available.
