Stark, actually: Canton Long John Silver's nears end of the plank
The "Stark, actually" featurettes are about people, places and things in Stark County. Prior examples have included everything from a thoroughbred horse farm to the legend and lore of Machan's Rock.
What: Long John Silver's restaurant will close after property is sold.
Where: Opened in 1975, the fast-food seafood eatery whose name is derived from a character in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island," was a mainstay at 123 Raff Road SW in Canton.
When: This photo was taken the afternoon of Oct. 17.
The story: The half-acre site, south of Tuscarawas Street W, is on the market as a "former Long John Silver's," though the business is currently open.
Alexandra Alsarih, of Legacy Real Estate Advisors in Southfield, Michigan, said she has several purchase offers in hand. Once a sale is finalized, the restaurant will close for good within a week.
Performance Foods Corp. of Mansfield operates the Raff Road Long John Silver's, along with others. Jami Sweeney, an owner of Performance Foods, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
The Long John Silver's is the french fried grandam of its Canton neighborhood ― it's been there longer than everything developed around it.
When the restaurant opened, the Giant Eagle across the street was an IGA; the next door Reed Funeral Home family center (a former United Bank building) didn't exist yet; the adjacent Rite Aid site was still home to an L-K restaurant; and Mellet Plaza to the rear wasn't completed until a decade later.
A request for comment, sent to the chain's corporate office in Lyndon, Kentucky, was not returned. According to its website, there are 563 Long John Silver's locations throughout the U.S.
Two Stark County sites, both attached to Taco Bells, remain open in Louisville and in North Canton.
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com. On X: @tbotosREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton Long John Silver's is closing
