DeKALB – After nearly a year in business, Annie G's restaurant and pancake house served its last meal Sunday, and staff was busy Wednesday clearing out the building to make way for a new restaurant.
Jim Mason, who owns the building at 131 N. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb and also owned the Annie G's business, said Thursday that pancake house chain IHOP would be opening there in June.
"I wish them well. It's a first-class business," Mason said.
IHOP spokesman Dan Ischy said Wednesday that a franchisee has expressed interest in opening an IHOP in DeKalb, but as far as the chain is concerned, nothing has been finalized.
"We would love to have a restaurant in the DeKalb area, and we do have a franchisee looking at that location," he said. "But until the agreement and everything is in place, I can't say that's going to happen."
Ischy did not release the name of the franchisee.
Annie G's manager Ray Reeves said the restaurant had been purchased by IHOP and that the new owner took possession of the building Wednesday. Reeves said he expects most of the existing staff to stay on in the new restaurant.
Mason declined to release details of the sale, but the DeKalb County recorder's office has recorded no recent sale of the property, suggesting that Mason kept ownership of the building and sold only the business. Mason also owned the building for the nine years Baker's Square operated a restaurant there, from 2000 to 2009.
Baker's Square closed in February 2009, after failing to reach a rent agreement with Mason Properties. Mason opened Annie G's soon after.