Long Live the Burger King: Dover, NH Location to Reopen
Burger King is returning to its old location on Central Avenue in Dover and they're hiring for their grand reopening.
The blank message area of the sign out had a message go up on Sunday afternoon that it is opening soon and they're now hiring.
The building has been the subject of legal struggles since the ceiling over the grill area caved in and was shut down in 2018, Dan Barufaldi, director of Dover's Economic Development Office told Seacoast Current.
"There has apparently been some legal activity about recompense for that. The allegation is it might have been sold under false pretenses and whether the original owners knew of the issue before the sale," Barufaldi said.
There was also an ownership transfer and off-and-on repairs, according to Barufaldi. Some of those repairs may have been held up by the pandemic and a scarcity of contractors.
The ceiling was also a challenge to repair because it was difficult to find all the leaks, according to Dover Building Official James Maxfield. The issue has been resolved and the owners have been replacing some mechanical systems.
"They will be opening soon. That's their plan anyway," Maxfield told Seacoast Current.
He did not have a date for the reopening and said there have been several final inspections for the new mechanical systems but not a final building inspection.
"I know they're getting close and I do expect at some point during the week this week that somebody will be reaching out to me with more details," Maxfield said.
On Sunday night, the drive-thru was completely boarded up. The parking lot was cracked and roped off.
Finding staff members may be difficult because it is a job-seekers market.
The restaurant will be trying to staff up in a state with the lowest unemployment in the country in an industry struggling to fill positions. Many Seacoast restaurants have had to raise wages and cut hours in order to remain open.
Seacoast United, a youth sports program, is trying to help employers find enough staff members to make it through the summer. They have a Future Goals program to facilitate that connection.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH