30-year-old Joey's Not Welcome Back, Says Owner

By Douglas Trattner on Thu, Jan 5, 2012 at 4:15 pm

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Mike Leonetti, owner of Joey's Restaurant in Chagrin Falls, says that despite his intentions to rebuild following a devastating fire on November 30, he is no longer welcome by his landlord to do so.

"We got a letter on Christmas Eve that said they were terminating our lease," Leonetti says of his landlord Mike Belkin. "No explanation was given."

Joey's originally opened at 44 N. Main Street in 1981. Just last week, the Leonetti family opened a second Joey's (28500 Miles Rd., 440-247-6085) at the Shoppes of Solon at the corner of Miles and Brainard roads. The new restaurant features the same menu as the 30-year-old original.

Since the fire, Leonetti says he has been working with his insurance company to rebuild and reopen the Chagrin Falls eatery. Now, he says, his efforts are being focused on finding a new location in Chagrin Falls.

Attempts to contact Belkin have been unsuccessful.

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For 20 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work on Michael Symon's "Carnivore," "5 in 5" and “Fix it With Food” have earned him three New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor garnered the award of “Best...

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