Construction and renovations throughout downtown Akron has several local restaurants sending out an SOS to city officials.
The owner of The Lockview even started a GoFundMe to raise money to pay its bills.
“The last year has been a financial disaster for The Lockview,” stated Danny Basone, restaurant owner, on the GoFundMe page. “The city of Akron began construction downtown just before COVID hit, and since then, it’s been an uphill battle to keep the doors open. On top of that, the cost of everything we need to run the restaurant has gone up by 20%, making it even harder to stay afloat. Throughout all of this, I’ve always made sure my employees were paid first, even if it meant falling behind on other bills. Unfortunately, that’s caught up with us—our taxes are now overdue, and it’s threatening our liquor license.”
As of the afternoon on Sunday, April 19, $5,225 of the goal of $6,000 has been raised on GoFundMe.
According to records from the Summit County Fiscal Office, taxes on the property at 207 S. Main St. are $6,034 annually.
The space The Lockview occupies has a long history, nearly a century, of serving up meals in downtown Akron. In the early 1930s it was Stone’s Grill, then became Mr. Bilbo’s in the early ’80s. Basone purchased it in 2001, calling the establishment The Lime Spider.
In 2007, Basone turned the Lime Spider — a music club and bar — into the Lockview. Today, the establishment is known for its variety of grilled cheese sandwiches, homemade tomato soup, salads and cocktails.
A social media post made on Sunday by Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks and Grille, at 147 S. Main St., called The Lockview “a beloved Downtown Akron iconic business.”
Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks pleads to Akron for relief funds
“It’s so heartbreaking that my neighbors have to ask the Akron community for help,” the Eddies Famous Cheesesteaks social media post stated. “On behalf of Eddies I donated this morning. Their history includes so many wonderful stories and events. After all the Lime Spider launched the Black Keys in many ways.”
The social media poster stated that they’ve “been lobbying the city and the county for months now to put together a relief grant for the immediate businesses and the devastating effects from the unannounced Ohio Building shutdown and restoration.”
“It’s cost Eddies a minimum of 50,000 projected in lost business by projects end,” Sunday’s social media post stated. “From what I’m hearing they’re also not gonna meet the original completion date. I can only imagine the effect on the Lockview. The Peanut Shoppe of Akron is suffering greatly. So far it’s fallen on deaf ears. Hopefully this will wake them up. Downtown Akron is nothing without restaurants and ways to entertain.”
In a social media post made by Eddies this past October, the poster said the restaurant had “hit a bit of a skid recently.”
Basone said that “this year has been the hardest yet” for his restaurant.
“The Lockview has always been more than just a restaurant to me,” Basone said. “It’s a place where friends and families gather, and where our staff has become like family. I’m reaching out because I believe in the power of community and the difference that support can make. Any support towards The Lockview and my now small staff would be greatly appreciated.”
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Downtown Akron restaurants ask for financial help as construction persists
Reporting by April Helms, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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