Olde Towne Owner 'Blindsided' by Restaurant Closure

The owner of Olde Towne Tavern & Grille in Suwanee said Friday morning that he was "blindsided" by the court decision that forced him to close the popular restaurant Thursday afternoon.

Robert Morava, who purchased the Town Center restaurant in 2011, said he learned about 1 p.m. on Thursday (December 20) that he would have to close the restaurant that day. About 3 p.m., the doors were closed and locked by a court-appointed locksmith, and a bankruptcy filing notice had been posted on the door.

Morava said he had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy about four months ago, and that he had intended to continue operating and bring the restaurant out of bankruptcy. However, landlord Madison Retail proposed a conversion to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the judge said, "I've got no choice," Morava said.

"It was a scenario that we had no control over," Morava continued.

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