ELYRIA — Apparently, General Tso’s chicken doesn’t pay enough to make the rent.

The Chao Praya Chinese Eatery in Midway Mall has become the latest tenant that the mall’s parent company has sued for falling behind in the rent.

The eatery, which is closed, owes $16,824.88 in back rent, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in county Common Pleas Court that accuses Chao Praya of breach of contract.

Chao Praya owes money on its 2000 lease dating back to Dec. 1, 2007, the lawsuit said.

Centro Watt, the company that owns and operates the mall, has already sued several other tenants including The Game Room arcade, the Gold Valley jewelry store and Midway Cinema 8, accusing them of being between $18,000 and $52,000 behind in paying their rents.

Business owners at the mall have said in the past that business has been slow.

Dillard’s closed its Midway Mall location last year, and there are concerns that JCPenney will close its store as well after its lease is up next year. JCPenney is slated to open a new store in Avon this year.

Elyria Mayor Bill Grace has publicly worried about the future of the mall, saying that development in Avon and other areas could lead to tough economic times for the shopping center.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---