|
Source
Chandler's Heart Attack Grill closes by Edythe Jensen - Jun. 1, 2011 06:28 PM The Arizona Republic The Heart Attack Grill is closed. The Chandler restaurant that got national attention for its calorie-laden fare and waitresses dressed in provocative nurse outfits closed without any announcement about two weeks ago, said Greg Stanfield, owner of the nearby Regal Beagle bar. Although a sign on the grill's door and a notice on the website say the restaurant is undergoing remodeling, efforts to reach the owner, Jon Basso, were unsuccessful. The business' phone is disconnected; so is the number listed for Basso's Carefree home. The door sign and website notice say the restaurant will reopen June 15 and that it is "having challenges with the city over our building's exterior color." The building is red and white; the rest of the strip shopping center once anchored by a now-vacant Bashas' grocery store is tan. Chandler building inspector Mike DeWys said his office received an anonymous complaint about alleged construction activity at the site at 6185 W. Chandler Boulevard a short time ago. An inspector sent to the location found evidence of painting, he said, and the inspector's report notes "issue of building color and landscaping have not been resolved." There is no record in city files that Heart Attack Grill has building permits for remodeling or that the city issued any citations for unpermitted construction activity. Stanfield said Heart Attack Grill customers and employees were regular patrons at his Regal Beagle, and he was under the impression that the closure is permanent. The news comes two months after the sudden death of Heart Attack Grill's 575-pound spokesman, Blair River. Just 29, River was the face - and body - of the unabashedly unhealthy restaurant that featured burgers with names like the Quadruple Bypass Burger - a sandwich with four beef patties - and French fries cooked it lard. Anyone who weighed more than 350 pounds got a free meal, but they had to step on the restaurant's scale to prove it. Following River's death in March, Basso vowed to keep the restaurant open and pay tribute to his friend without changing the menu or toning down the glorification of obesity. The cause of River's death was not released but friends said he developed pneumonia after contracting the flu. Chandler City Councilman Jeff Weninger, who owns several small restaurants, said the recession has been tough dining establishments and the negative publicity from River's death has likely hurt the Heart Attack Grill. "These are tough times and this is a really tough business. Just when you start thinking you're going to come out on the other side, all of a sudden your purveyor raises prices," the councilman said.
Messy yard cops cause Heart Attack Grill to close?SourceHeart Attack Grill not closing, owner says by Edythe Jensen - Jun. 2, 2011 05:33 PM The Arizona Republic The owner of Chandler's Heart Attack Grill said he closed the restaurant temporarily "to put a few posters on the wall" but may move the business to Phoenix or Scottsdale if the city continues to fight him over his building's paint color. Jon Basso said earlier reports that his grill may be closed for good are false. He recently opened a second restaurant in Dallas and said he is using the time when the Chandler site is closed to build the Texas business. The Chandler restaurant got national attention for its calorie-laden fare and waitresses dressed in provocative nurse outfits. When the owner of a nearby business reported the grill's closure this week, efforts to contact Basso were unsuccessful. The phone numbers listed for the Heart Attack Grill and Basso's home were disconnected and there is no phone listing for the Dallas restaurant. Basso, who contacted The Republic from his cell phone, said neither the Chandler restaurant nor the Dallas one have phones. Located in a near-vacant tan-colored shopping center on Chandler Boulevard and Kyrene Road, the Heart Attack Grill is painted white. That has created a conflict between the owner and the city, Basso said. "Chandler has threatened to seek criminal action against me because they don't like my shade of white," he said. "I bring more tourists to city of Chandler than any other business . . . .I don't need Chandler," he said. "The Texas business environment is so darned friendly that it makes me question the wisdom of ever returning to Arizona." Alan Ayers, site development coordinator for the city, said Basso painted the building a different color than the rest of the center several years ago without approval, which violates the shopping center's development plan. City officials have since been telling him that he needs to either paint the building to match the rest of the center or apply for a plan change, but no application has been filed, Ayers said. The city could pursue a misdemeanor code violation charge but has not, he said. Basso said he also is negotiating with his landlord for an extended lease and reduced rent. Although the sign on the Chandler restaurant door said it will re-open June 15, the owner said if he doesn't reach an agreement with his landlord and if the city continues to push for a color change "we will certainly reopen at end of summer at a new location in downtown Phoenix or Scottsdale."
|