(Enlarge) Owners of Meiklejohn’s Restaurant and Pub in Eldersburg say they reopened this past weekend after a bout with BGE and Constellation Energy over utility past bills from the restaurant’s former owners.
(Photo by Phil Grout)
Meiklejohn's Restaurant & Pub in Eldersburg Plaza reopened this past weekend after temporarily closing last month to resolve some bad debt.
Grant L. and Josh Gursky and their father, also Grant Gursky, purchased The ChopHouse from ABF Enterprises LLC on Dec. 27, 2005, and agreed to purchase some of the bad debt, Grant L. Gursky said.
The debt, from Baltimore Gas & Electric, caught up with the brothers when they were unable to pay the full amount and BGE turned off the electricity, he said.
The restaurant, located at 1438 Liberty Road, Eldersburg, ran on generators from Sept. 13-17, but the owners decided to close Thursday, Sept. 18, Grant Gursky said.
The Gurskys also faced thousands of dollars in losses due to food because they had to throw out or take home food since it would not meet temperature standards by the Health Department, he said.
The owners settled the bill Friday, Sept. 19, and opened Saturday, Sept. 27, after a review by the Carroll County Health Department, he said.
The brothers raised enough money to resolve the debt, but were slowed due to BGE's parent company Constellation Energy being sold to MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co.
The brothers updated customers through a podcast posted on the restaurant's MySpace page to quell rumors about the business.
The Gurskys said in the podcast that rumors included that the restaurant violated liquor laws or that the Health Department closed the restaurant for food violations -- neither was true, he said.
Staff from the county's Liquor Board and the Health Department said the restaurant has not had any recent violations that would force the restaurant to close.
"The reason was strictly a business one and business has been pretty good," Grant L. Gursky said.
Gursky said he appreciated the community's support and the outpouring for the family-run business. The utility bill was the last debt the owners had to "conquer" from the sale and they do not foresee anymore problems, Gursky said.