Up to 20 Frisch's in the Greater Cincinnati area are at risk of eviction

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Frisch's Big Boy is an iconic local name, but its future in Greater Cincinnati is uncertain.

Restaurants in Lebanon and Franklin will close next week, and many more could suffer the same fate. All of this comes after several restaurants closed in early 2024.

Court records show up to 20 locations are in trouble.

“It honestly breaks my heart because I’m close to the managers. Some managers have been there 14 years or more,” Ferguson said. “I just don’t understand what happened.”

Ashley Ferguson said there have been worrying signs for months at Frisch's, where she works on Germantown Road in Middletown.

“[We] We weren't getting the normal food that we were getting, like our normal deliveries, and we found out that they weren't paying the bills,” Ferguson said. “We haven't had butter for probably a month and the managers have been taking money out of their own pockets to buy it for the store and this is just one of the products.”

She began to worry after seeing other places close.

“All the managers, everyone in the company, say, 'Oh, everything's fine,'” Ferguson said.

Her suspicions were confirmed Monday when her restaurant was served with eviction papers.

“It was the bailiff who served the eviction papers,” Ferguson said.

In addition to the two locations scheduled to close, Local 12 has identified at least seven other locations that face the possibility of eviction. Some have court hearings as early as Wednesday, others will take place in the coming weeks. These include Anderson, Loveland, Bethel, Hillsboro, Fairfield and Green Township.

Court Ordered Evictions:

• 1330 Columbus Avenue (Lebanon)
• 3560 S Dixie Highway (Franklin)

Eviction hearings scheduled:

• 5351 North Bend Road (Green Township)
• 7706 Beechmont Avenue (Anderson)
• 1800 Germantown Road (Middle Town)
• 1283 SR 28 (Loveland)
• 551 West Plane Street (Bethel)
• 1285 N High Street (Hillsboro)
• 6638 Dixie Highway (Fairfield)

A lawsuit filed in Clermont County shed some light on the unrest.

It emerged that NNN Reit, the investment company that owns the properties, has filed eviction notices for more than 20 Frisch locations in multiple courts in southwest Ohio. Attorneys representing Frisch's said they tried to work with the landlord to prevent evictions.

They said their proposals were rejected, “resulting in unnecessary legal fees, a waste of judicial resources and abrupt job losses.”

Frisch's is asking for more time so it can develop a plan for closing its stores, citing eviction hearings that will take place every week through mid-November.

“I think it’s unfair; Yes, I understand that you need to keep your restaurant running. It's not fair that you just leave all these people unemployed. Your children need to be fed; they need clothing. That’s not right,” Ferguson said. “I'm going to look for another job as a waiter, which breaks my heart because I'm used to the customers there. We have regular customers. It's been around for so long. The place where I work – it’s the only place I’ve eaten in my entire life.”

Local 12 reached out to NNN Reit as well as Frisch's and their attorneys. Local 12 did not receive a response in time for this report.

When Local 12 asked Frisch's last week about rumors of closures, they sent a statement saying:

“Due to unforeseen circumstances and various other factors,” they will be closing at certain locations. They would not confirm any specific locations.