On Friday, Sept. 6, Angie’s Chicago Style Pizza joined the ranks of several other restaurants and businesses recently shut down on Lincoln Avenue, but the business and building owners disagree as to why.

Angie’s Pizza moved from West Park Plaza to its East Lincoln location in January 2001. Then, last July, Angie’s owners Barbara and Brian Phillips came in contact with Paul Coffman, local accountant and current owner of the building Angie’s Pizza operated in, which he had purchased in July 2002, Barbara said.

Brian Phillips had not been as involved in the business for over a year, which Barbara Phillips said left her running the business.

Coffman, along with area businessmen whom Coffman named as Tom Royal and Russel Soles, offered to buy the business, Barbara Phillips said.

Coffman said he also became involved in the operation of the business as research before taking over ownership.

Former Angie’s Pizza employee Mark Vanis said Coffman purchased new equipment, ran food specials that were not financially beneficial to the business and stopped paying employees, which Vanis said led to the restaurant closing.

He said Coffman purchased a computer system that scanned employee fingerprints for the purpose of payroll and placing customer orders.

“He (Coffman) bought these computers and these computers could have ran five to 10 grand,” he said. “You don’t need anything like that for any business in Charleston.”

Coffman said Angie’s Pizza closed Sept. 6 because of Barbara Phillips’ decision to stop business. He, Royal and Soles recently presented her with a decision to not buy the restaurant several weeks ago because of Barbara Phillips’ debts connected to the business, including $20,000 in back rent, Coffman said.

“When we uncovered the amount of debt Barbara and Brian had, we decided not to purchase,” he said.

Barbara Phillips said Coffman had met with her and others connected with the business last July and was informed about the debts she and her husband accumulated.

She said Coffman, Royal and Soles reneged on buying the business because of a lack of funds, not because of debt they were previously made aware of.

She said the decision to close the business was ultimately made by the manager working Sept. 6 and other Angie’s Pizza employees, some of whom had not received one or more paychecks.

“It was like, if it was a union, the employees would have went on strike,” Barbara Phillips said.

She said Coffman had started a corporation called Angie’s Chicago Style Pizza Corporation and bank account that neither she nor Brain Phillips could access.

Barbara Phillips said all profit from around the end of July was put in the account.

Coffman said the Angie’s Pizza

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stayed open until Friday to pay employees. “Our last payroll was only partially matched.”

Mark Vanis, former Angie’s Pizza employee, said Coffman’s business practices were to blame for the restaurant closing.

“I think Paul (Coffman) over-projected himself. I think he spent a little too much money,” he said. “He didn’t realize the business part of Charleston. I think it was just poor business management on his part.”

Vannis said he was told Coffman intended to fulfill payroll.

“I heard a rumor that he (Coffman) was going to pay us out of pocket, but that never happened,” Vannis said. “It seems like he had no problem closing down. He had no problem not getting us our paychecks.”

The future of Angie’s Pizza is uncertain.

Barbara and Brian Phillips have no legal method of determining the future of what will happen to the location they worked out of since January.

Coffman said there are several possibilities of others who will open the location for business in the future, but he said no action can be taken until the restaurant equipment is moved.

He said in an earlier article that the equipment was still owned by Barbara Phillips. “We are working with the bank to assume (Phillips’) equipment loan.”

Barbara Phillips said she would move the equipment, but has no way to gain access to the restaurant.

She said her keys to the building no longer worked after she returned from the hospital, where she delivered the couple’s fourth child, the Saturday after the Friday closing.

She said any employee who has not received payroll can contact the Illinois Department of Labor at www.state.il.us/agency/idol or (217) 782-6206.