GALION —Suemar Realty, Inc., which operates six Ralphie’s restaurants in northwest Ohio, including Ralphie’s Sports Eatery in Marion, 1833 Marion-Mount Gilead Road, has purchased the former Varsity Grille, 451 Portland Way North.
The sale closed Nov 22, according to a news release from the owners of the Varsity Grille.
The Galion site will be the seventh Ralphies and is expected to open in the spring.
“… plans are to renovate the restaurant to to reopen by March 1,” the news release said. “With the addition of Ralphie’s to the community, as well as the building of the hotel and a couple new fast food restaurants, this is an exciting time for the Galion business community.”
Ken Dye is president of the group that owned the Varsity Grille. Other investors were Stacie Powell, Tony and Lisa Hoffman, Clint Moneysmith, Alan Miller and Jim Antill.
Dye said he is proud that the Varsity Grill had operated in Galion for more than 10 years.
In the news release, he said, “we have met a lot of super people over the years and have a lot of fantastic memories through doing business as the Varsity Grille. And with Ralphie’s being a sports-themed, family restaurant, it is a great fit for our community.”
The Varsity Grille closed operations in May during the final days of a proposed sale that failed to take place.
With this Ralphies’ deal, the parties worked diligently with each other, Dye said.
“Suemar Realty is a very professional and well-established organization,” he said. “They were great to work.”
He thanked the Varsity Grille investors and the new owners for making the deal happen and he thanked the community for its support over the years.