ROCKFORD, IL — Confused customers were still pulling into drive-thru lanes in an attempt to order lunch April 27 after Rockford-area Beef-A-Roo locations suddenly closed.
A sign from the Illinois Department of Revenue was posted on the doors of the Rockford area restaurants that read “WARNING This business’ certificate of registration has EXPIRED.” It asks customers to report illegal sales to the department.
Another sign read: “We will be closed for the day April 27. We apologize for the inconvenience. We hope to see you again really soon!”
The closures come on the heels of a string of complaints against Bee-A-Roo on social media alleging that the company has failed to pay schools for fundraisers held at area restaurants.
Terrell Yarbrough, superiendent for the Harlem School District, said five schools have either not been paid or have had checks bounce in recent months.
In addition, at least two sports teams, including the girls flag football team, were affected as well. It isn’t known how much money those fundraisers should have raised, but Yarbrough estimated that it is at least a few thousand dollars.
Beef-A-Roo was a reliable fundraising partner for years, Yarbrough said, but there were suddenly problems with the program this school year. Money raised with the help of Beef-A-Roo has in the past been used to support school activities like field trips, end of year pizza parties and the purchase of sports uniforms.
“One of the things I want to stress is that we have had a partnership with Beef-A-Roo for many years and my hope is that things get settled so we can find a solution and resume that,” Yarbrough said. “I don’t know how things are going to work out, but we would welcome a conversation to try to repair things and fix this.”
Jeremy Wise, vice president of Beef-A-Roo, said in a statement that he expects the schools to be paid within seven to 14 days. Wise said that there have been personnel and systems changes in the company’s finance department that may have had something to do with what happened.
Wise said that company regrets the frustration and concern the situation has caused.
“We are also conducting a thorough review to better understand the circumstances surrounding these issues and to ensure appropriate measures are in place moving forward,.” Wise said in the statement. “Additionally, we recognize that communication during this period may not have met expectations, and for that we sincerely apologize. We are implementing improvements to ensure inquiries from our community partners are acknowledged and handled in a timely and consistent manner.”
Maura Kownacki, spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Revenue, said she could not divulge information about Beef-A-Roo’s situation and why the stores had been closed.
“Due to taxpayer confidentiality provisions in the tax laws, the Illinois Department of Revenue cannot divulge particulars regarding the compliance of a business, but in general, to be open and operate legally, the business must be in full compliance, or have a department approved payment plan,” Kownacki said in an email to the Rockford Register Star.
Although the Rockford-area Beef-A-Roo locations had closed, the restaurant in Freeport is a separate franchise and was still operating.
Founded by the DeBruler family in 1967, the business was sold first to one company and then to NEXT Brands in 2022. Since then, several Beef-A-Roo franchises were established across the country including 10 corporate locations in Missouri and Kansas, according to a 2024 news release.
This story was updated to include additional information.
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford Beef-A-Roo locations close doors amid fundraising complaints
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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