Eviction court case of 77-year-old Wheelhouse Diner is settled. What happened

QUINCY ‒ After 77 years serving breakfast and lunch in North Quincy, the Wheelhouse Diner will close its doors June 30, according to owner LeeAnn Vieira McDonough.

The announcement came after Vieira reached a settlement with the landlord trying to evict her just moments before a scheduled bench trial in Quincy District Court on May 15.

McDonough had previously told The Patriot Ledger she wanted to stay until the owner was ready to carry out plans to redevelop the property .

“Everybody wants me to fight this thing to the end, but it’s exhausting,” she said.

Without a lease, McDonough said she can’t invest in training staff and repairing the building, which she said suffers from leaks and needs new doors.

“I’m on borrowed time,” she said. “It was different when I thought I’d be there for a while. Now it’s throwing money away.”

McDonough said she has until July 15 to leave the building under the settlement terms, leaving her about two weeks to move out after the restaurant closes.

She said she compromised after asking to stay until July 30 because she runs a catering business that uses the diner’s refrigerators and prep stations.

“That will keep going,” she said. “We have a bunch of previous engagements coming up in the summer.”

McDonough's lawyer Chris Carroll said they made the best of a difficult situation and offered praise for his client.

"I admire LeeAnn," he said. "One thing you can't put on a court document is how hard she works."

Helen Shiner, property manager for owner Ciahua Chen, was present in court but declined to comment on the case. Chen's attorney, Kimberly Kroha, gave the following statement: "I'm pleased that we were able to work something out where the owner gets possession back and the operator of the diner has through the end of June to wind down the business for her employees and customers."

How the Wheelhouse Diner got evicted

Like many restaurants, COVID hit the Wheelhouse hard. The diner was still feeling its effects when the underlying property changed hands in early 2023. McDonough's relationship with the new owner and her property manager has been strained – due to McDonough's still recovering finances and the owner's plans to redevelop the property.

Chen, principal of Hancock Realty Trust LLC, bought the property at 453 Hancock St. from the estate of the previous owner, the late Randall Hard, for $1.5 million in January 2023. She has been trying to get McDonough to leave since October 2023 .

Chen plans to build a multistory building with a diner on the first floor, according to Helen Shiner of Shiner Group Realtors in Quincy. Construction wouldn't begin for three to five years, Shiner said.

When the property changed hands, McDonough was paying $2,500 a month in rent. In June 2023, the new owner served McDonough a notice to quit by Oct. 8. Chen offered to allow McDonough to stay beyond October if she paid a higher rent of $4,000, which she did not do, Kroha said at a Jan. 18 court hearing .

McDonough told The Patriot Ledger that she offered to pay more in rent, but not the full 60% increase requested by the landlord.

The Abby sues its architect: Why North Quincy Station T parking garage isn't open. $3 million suit alleges 'defects'

City council, school committee collide: How the Quincy City Council could overrule school committee in Lunar New Year debate

Lawyers react to the failed Wheelhouse Diner mediation

During a Jan. 18 private mediation session, the landlord asked that McDonough vacate the property within two months and pay an increased rent of $3,200, according to Carroll. McDonough expressed her wish to remain for two more years, leading to an impasse.

Kroha responded to the failed negotiations in a written statement:

"Unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement where we could offer a scheduled transition before the landlord exercises its right to possession of the space through the court process."

Peter Blandino covers Quincy for The Patriot Ledger. Contact him at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Eviction court case of 77-year-old Wheelhouse Diner is settled. What happened