The closing last week of Forrester’s on the River caught many customers by surprise, particularly those who had recently bought gift cards or had booked upcoming events.
However, court documents show the restaurant’s owners have been struggling to pay their bills for some time and have twice been threatened with eviction.
Forrester’s opened in December, 2012, under the ownership and management of restaurant industry veterans John McQueary and son, Jonathan McQueary.
The two said they wanted to create a classy but laid-back atmosphere within the large riverfront restaurant at The Docks complex in East Toledo.
According to court documents, the McQuearys had fallen behind with their rent payments within six months. Dashing Pacific Group, which owns The Docks, filed a lawsuit against the McQuearys this year, alleging they owed more than $144,000 in back rent and other fees.
Dashing Pacific was ultimately granted permission in Toledo Municipal Court in November to move forward with eviction.
In a statement provided to The Blade by one of Dashing Pacific’s attorneys, company officials said the situation was unfortunate, but that they had no choice.
“Dashing Pacific obviously wants to see all of its tenants succeed. Regrettably, we have been forced to evict Forrester’s on the River due to its failure to pay rent,” the statement said.
The McQuearys and their attorney couldn’t be reached for comment on Monday. The restaurant had no closure signs on it and all the lights appeared to be off on Monday.
John McQueary had previously told The Blade that running the restaurant had been challenging because business is seasonal. He also called the rent “absolutely ridiculous.” A copy of the lease included in court filings showed the base rent as $9,623 a month.
Several people have lodged complaints on the restaurant’s Facebook page, questioning why Forrester’s was selling gift cards and taking reservations up to the day it closed. One woman wrote that she had signed a contract for a wedding just two days before the announcement that Forrester’s would be closing.
Restaurant officials characterized the closure multiple times as abrupt and unexpected.
“We did not know until early Friday morning,” one post said. “Again, it pains all involved with the restaurant. It wasn’t a preplanned ordeal.”
However, documents from Toledo Municipal Court show that Dashing Pacific was granted judgment to take possession of the property by Nov. 30.
It wasn’t clear what transpired on Friday. In their statement, Dashing Pacific said the owners of Forrester’s had agreed to vacate the premises by Nov. 30, 2015, but they didn’t do so, forcing Dashing Pacific to proceed through the sheriff’s office.
However, a spokesman for the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office said his office has not been involved in the property.
Thirty Main Dining LLC, the company formed by the McQuearys to operate the restaurant, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. At the time, the filing said the business owed a total of nearly $180,000 to Dashing Pacific and various utility providers, suppliers, and government agencies.
The bankruptcy petition was ultimately withdrawn after a judge lifted a stay that allowed Dashing Pacific to proceed with eviction motions.
Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134 or on Twitter @BladeAutoWriter.
First Published December 22, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
