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The latest results in unplanned, uncontrolled growth when corporate branding is allowed to established in a community they are not invested in. Will this sit and fester as the Long John Silvers has at the prime corner of 180 west and Little Walnut?

The 3rd photo below taken yesterday shows a shipping container which today is gone indicating they packed up and left and the phone is disconnected. Photo above was taken today, Thursday. Ownership at the County Assessors is listed as RED PROPERTIES LLC, 9350 WAXIE WAY SUITE 560, SAN DIEGO, CA 92123 which seems to no longer exist and may have been gobbled up by an investment company, 3G Capital, in 2010 when they bought Burger King Inc, but not necessarily as these kind of business structures are set up so that corporations who run the business often do not own the properties. Often property and building, as the Long John Silver "property", not owned by Long John Silver Corporation have the deeds bundled and sold to other investment companies in large lots of unrelated properties, much like mortgages were bundled and sold in the great recession of 2008. Denny's is being structured in the same pattern. For more explanation of this kind of business plan see my article from Jan 2015 about Long John Silvers HERE.

In my calls to 3G I was referred to Burger King Corporation which calls to were unanswered until I called Customer Service who assured me that this location was still open and functional.


The doors securing the grease pit were left open as was the grease pit itself. From conversations with various employees over the last couple of years I learned that the interior was in serious disrepair.


Wednesday a shipping container was at the location and Thursday it was gone.

Crow -- thanks for your coverage of this, and your persistence in trying to figure out who's (at least theoretically) responsible for this property. Only one correction to your post -- the bundling and collateralizing of mortgages is STILL going on, not just a thing of the pre-Great Recession bubble. Shelby

If I can remember correctly this Burger King closed in July of 2003, and reopened in December of 2004. Does anybody remember as to why it closed the first time?

If I remember correctly, the mangers said they couldn't get good help in Silver City, when they reopened they imported help from their Deming location. However, if you ever went to the Deming Burger King you'd wonder what they call "good help".

It was, from my conversations with workers there that the manager had a poor work ethic. They rarely saw a manager, the building inside was in disrepair and the minimum wage workers were treated badly when a manager did appear, moral was always low. A few months ago the fire department responded to a grill fire there and found that the cook had no idea that the fire extinguisher hanging nearby should have been used; a lack of training.

So often we hear deficient managers blame the worker to justify/excuse their own lacking.

So many restaurants have closed in Grant County over the past 12 to 14 years. Caballero's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Long John Silver's, and Miko's Tacos. Am I missing any other restaurants? Is Arby's still open? I remember visiting Arby's sometime around 2002, and being disgusted with the filthy interior.

Last I looked Arby's is still open. There was an All You Can Eat place where Wranglers is now; the Golden Dragon (still sitting in violation of Town Ordinance 1211) and Billy's, he changed the name to something else just before closing, next to Bealls.

Boy, this is an pretty negative view ! Restaurants come and go in every city and town.

How about the list of restaurants that have opened in the past 5 years ?

True, a high rate of restaurants fail, the issue was not to be negative over all, just to be negative towards the ones that are abandoned and left to rot like Long John's, BK and soon Kentucky Fried Something although Kentucky Fried seems to be for rent.

REPLY TO EDDIE V:

I just wanted to bring readers up-to-date on your comment regarding your last (2002) Arby's visit. The restaurant has nearly been completely remodeled since you were there, their menu has many new tasty items (as fast-food goes), and their employees are usually well-trained, and definitely friendly. I suggest you give Arby's another try & don't forget to ring the bell on the way out the door if you liked your food and/or service!!

How long will Denny's stay open?

Remember Golden Corral.

I do remember Golden Corral. They were losing business, perhaps because their prices kept rising. I was among those who quit going there...and there were growing numbers of empty tables. I understand the decision was made they were not throwing off the cash needed to justify the periodic franchise mandate to upgrade/renovate. So they shut down. This kind of mandate is why the Holiday Inn expanded, and maybe why Arby's remodeled. It's common practice. But now, Wranglers and the Beverage Co. are where Golden Corral used to be. Really busy places (unlike Golden Corral in its final year). If well-managed and with a good business plan, these new businesses are making good money and will stay open. If not, well, here comes the plywood over the windows. That's not surprising.

Chains are not the only restaurants that fail. We have lost two Chinese restaurants that were locally owned and not chains over the last few years. The restaurant business is tough.

Bruce