On Tuesday evening, employees carried out boxes and leftover materials from Collegetown’s Dunkin’ Donuts location, the latest business in the area to go under.
A sign taped to the door read, “This location is closed permanently. Please visit us at the Pinetree or the Meadow [Street] location. Thank you.”
The reasons behind Dunkin’ Donuts’ closure remain unclear, though it closely followed the shuttering of Collegetown Pizza’s 139 Dryden Road location, which sits about a block away.
The tenants at the Dryden Road Collegetown Pizza location were given a Petition to Recover Possession of Real Property, which was posted on the door of the location. This petition is issued if a tenant does not move out or pay rent by a given three-day period, according to New York State procedures.
According to the petition, the restaurant failed to pay over $13,000 in rent. Nathan Lyman, the chief operating officer of Ithaca Renting Company, declined to comment on the overdue money.
In an email to The Sun, Lyman said, “There was a new owner of [Collegetown Pizza] at the beginning of the year. I have been told he suffered unexpected health issues since opening and is not able to continue.”
According to the petition, the tenants are Frank and Betty Holden, who could not be reached for comment. They were given “3-Day Notice to Quit or Pay Rent,” according to the petition, which was dated April 13.
Known for a wall that customers could sign, Collegetown Pizza was a part of the University’s history, even making 2012’s list of “161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do.”
Collegetown Pizza has switched locations before. In 2012, it moved to its current location from 401 College Ave., which now houses Oishii Bowl, as The Sun previously reported.
Just a few feet away, at 159 Dryden Rd., is the former storefront of Beijing Jianbing, a Chinese restaurant. Beijing Jianbing, which also closed in the last few months, still remains vacant.
Collegetown Pizza’s eviction proceedings were postponed to May 31 at 9:00 a.m. in Ithaca City Court, according to Michael Perehinec, a representative for the landlord.
Lyman, who said he couldn’t comment on private business relations, did note that if the Dryden Road Collegetown Pizza closes, he “expect[s] a new party will open very shortly.”