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Two Cicis pizza franchisees from Texas were recently evicted from their buffet-style restaurant at Battlefield Plaza.
SBJ PHOTO BY ERIC OLSON
Two Cicis pizza franchisees from Texas were recently evicted from their buffet-style restaurant at Battlefield Plaza.

Cicis pizza franchisees evicted from Battlefield Plaza

Posted online

Last edited 3:11 p.m., May 31, 2018

Franchisees of the Cicis pizza buffet at Battlefield Plaza recently served their last slice.

Battlefield Plaza LLC owner Curtis Jared of Jared Enterprises Inc. garnered a recent judgment from Greene County Circuit Court to boot two Texas-based owners of the pizza franchise.

Jared said the roughly 4,000 square feet of commercial space is now being cleaned for a new, undisclosed tenant – though signage with the Cicis’ logo says the pizza shop is “closed for remodeling.”

The evicted franchisees are Dan Nations, of Bellaire, Texas, and Carla Nations, of Dallas, according to court records. Neither of the Nations – whose relation is unclear – could be reached for comment by press time.

Both are listed as guarantors of Mozark Nations Inc., which was ordered May 22 by Associate Circuit Judge Jerry Harmison to pay Battlefield Plaza roughly $8,000 in unpaid rent, legal fees and court costs, according to the court records.

Jared said the judgment marked the end of a multifaceted eviction that included Mozark Nations allegedly attempting to operate under the Cicis brand after breaching its franchise agreement with corporate headquarters in Irvine, Texas.

“We had been made aware that their franchise agreement had also been terminated with Cicis for noncompliance,” Jared said. “It was just a weird deal where they were trying to, I guess, survive somehow.

“They were trying to operate from afar. And it was just constantly accusations against their operators, accusations against their attorneys – accusations against everybody but themselves.”

Two Cicis corporate communications representatives contacted by Springfield Business Journal were unable to detail the noncompliance issues by press time.

Greene County court documents specify only the fiscal judgment.

Mozark Nations had leased 318 E. Battlefield Road, Ste. D, at Battlefield Plaza for $5,040 per month, according to the court documents.

When the lawsuit was filed March 7, the company was in arrears for roughly $4,200 in rent, $2,200 in 2017 year-end payments and $800 in common-area maintenance at the south-side commercial center.

The circuit court on May 9 ordered Mozark Nations to vacate the property within 10 days but later stayed the eviction, granted the company deposited $5,050 with the court, pending later proceedings. 

With the deposit paid, a bench trial was then set for May 21, according to the court records. Ultimately winning the eviction, Jared said Battlefield Plaza is now working to prepare the commercial suite for a new tenant.

“We’re talking to some other parties right now to look at taking over the space,” Jared said, adding that a tenant has not yet signed a lease. “Like anything, we wouldn’t disclose it until we have a finalized agreement.”

Battlefield Plaza is anchored by Food 4 Less and Big Lots stores, and other tenants include Joplimo Mattress, The Grotto, Wingstop and FedEx Office.

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