BUCKHANNON — The Donut Shop in Buckhannon has served as a beloved staple in the community for generations, but recently it was announced that the business would be closing its doors for good, or so we thought.
According to Upshur County records, the property was initially owned by Carl J. Martin I until it was inherited by his descendants. Chaumont Properties, LLC, owned by his daughter Sherree Martin, took over primary ownership in 2013.
T & G Inc., which uses the DBA ‘Donut Shop’ has operated the business out of the 51 N Locust St location. The corporation was started in 1977, and is operated by Marylanders John and George Comegys.
In a statement released to the media, Sherree Martin stated,
“The Donut Shop in Buckhannon West Virginia is an institution with a long legacy. I am committed to continue business as usual, with a new operator in place shortly to continue the tradition.”
The Journal can also confirm that Martin owns the equipment in the Donut Shop.
The conflict is allegedly over an increased price in the lease agreement, and an unwillingness of the Comegys to pay for the lease. If they were to leave and find a new location, they would not be able to take the equipment with them as it was also leased along with the building.
Therefore, this would mean that by raising the lease to ensure profitability, Martin was potentially able to take ownership of the business.
If the business was not purchased, Buckhannon witnessed a similar questionable business strategy that was commonly used by the McDonald’s Corporation. McDonald’s is one of the largest land leasing companies in the country. They established their prominence by becoming the landlord to its franchisees. If the franchisee were to run the franchise poorly or if McDonald’s Corporation wanted to re-acquire ownership, they could raise the lease and the franchisees would be forced out. McDonald’s would still own the property, the branded building, and much of the equipment.
Mountaineer Journal will provide you with additional updates as we acquire them.