Easton sues one of its restaurants, claiming unpaid rent

COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) — A restaurant at Easton Town Center is being sued by the company that owns the retail district after being accused of not paying rent.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court 16 by Easton Gateway property company against Melt Bar and Grilled, a restaurant located in a section northeast of the main mall. The complaint states Easton sent a notice on Nov. 9 to the restaurant about failing to pay rent on time and gave a five-day grace period.

After several months, a second notice about unpaid rent was sent to Melt on April 10, this time with a 12-day grace period. The complaint claims the rent was not paid within the grace period for either notice.

The lawsuit alleges that Melt has not paid rent despite facing demands to pay it and other fees agreed to in the lease. Easton claims the unpaid fees resulted in more than $200,000 in damages and is demanding that money be paid back in full plus interest, attorney’s fees and more.

Melt opened its Easton location in 2014. A Short North location closed in 2022 after the company’s owner said a rising number of issues no longer made it sustainable. The company operates five other locations in Ohio.

Requests for comment from Melt was not immediately returned. A spokesperson for Easton said they will not comment on the matter.

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