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Dough Shack Owners: State Street Did Us In

Stan Jastrzebski
/
WBAA News

The owners of Von’s Dough Shack, a calzone restaurant along West Lafayette’s State Street, say the roadway’s overhaul is forcing them to close.

Amber von Erdmansdorff has run the restaurant for the last seven years and says she thinks the area is no longer very conducive to locally-owned businesses.

“It’s going to be really hard on a lot of other businesses in the area," she says. "And for that I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry to see all these independent places going out and being replaced with Panda Expresses and things like that.”

Amber’s father John owns Von’s Shops next door. Despite being one of the longest-tenured stores in the area, he says sales are already down 20-to-40 percent.

He rejects the city’s rationale that the road needed to become two-way as a safety precaution, because it’s the same rationale used to make it one-way in 1991.

But he says West Lafayette Development Director Erik Carlson has been responsive to communication.

“This morning I came to work and right in front of the bookstore front door was a port-a-potty. I sent him a text and I said, ‘Is this strategic placement?’ A couple hours later the port-a-potty had been move from out in front of our front door.”

Credit Stan Jastrzebski / WBAA News
/
WBAA News
Lunch lines have stretched out onto State Street the last several days at Von's Dough Shack, which will shut down Saturday.

Von’s Dough Shack, next door, plans to close for good on Saturday.

Amber von Erdmansdorff says she hopes to rent it to another locally-owned business and use the rental income to keep Von’s Shops from shuttering.

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