Opinion Column
Elmer's hopes to re-open Oregon City location
As your readers may already know, the Elmer’s restaurant in Oregon City closed abruptly on Dec. 31, 2006. It was incorrectly reported by a handful of media (neither Oregon City News nor the Clackamas Review) that Elmer’s “opted not to renew the lease agreement” and gave the franchise-owner of the restaurant “very little warning.” As a result, Elmer’s has been fielding calls and letters from upset customers who were mislead by the erroneous reports. In order to set the record straight, I am providing you with the facts:
The Oregon City location was franchisee-owned. The contract between Elmer’s and the franchise-owner was a 25-year agreement. This agreement expired on June 27, 2005. In spite of the expiration, Elmer’s allowed the franchisee to continue operating without a formal agreement, until such time as he decided what he wanted to do going forward. The franchise-owner gave us no indication he intended to close the restaurant, so the occurrence was as much a surprise to us as it was to the customers in Oregon City. The franchisee-owner was neither asked, nor forced, to close the restaurant by us.
We are investigating the options available to us, including the possible re-opening of the restaurant. In the meantime, Elmer’s sincerely regrets the closure and any inconvenience it has caused the franchise-owner’s employees, and Elmer’s loyal customers. If readers have additional questions, I encourage them to contact our office.