South-side Dagwood's franchise closing

South-side restaurant Dagwood’s Sandwich Shoppes is slated to close May 29.

Manager Cherish Wallace said construction at the intersection of Republic Road and National Avenue has significantly suppressed revenues, which led to owner Paul Jameson’s decision to shut down. The intersection improvements have been ongoing at the busy corridor since before Christmas.

“When the construction started, it was just too much for us,” Wallace said, estimating recent revenue has been been half of what it was before the declines that began in 2013. “Coming out of the bad winter that we did, we weren’t adequately (positioned) to handle another decrease in sales. It was the last straw for us.
 
“March through September is really when our business thrives, and with the construction right in front of our store, we’re not getting that revenue in to help us through another winter.”

Jameson, an attorney with Springfield’s Placzek Winget & Placzek, bought the business - based on the “Blondie” comic strip - from JT Restaurant Group owners Tom and JoAnn Dapp in January 2012, Wallace said. When the Dapps opened the business in 2007, they had plans to sell 64 franchises in Springfield, Joplin and Kansas City, according to Springfield Business Journal archives, but Wallace said Jameson’s store is the only Dagwood’s in the area.

The Springfield franchise currently has five employees, Wallace said.[[In-content Ad]]