A well-known Canton pizza chain is asking a judge to end its lease at the Hall of Fame Village, claiming the venue broke a promise to make the restaurant its exclusive pizza provider.
Bear Management, which operates Pizza Oven’s 10 locations, filed a complaint in Stark County Common Pleas Court on April 30. The filing says Pizza Oven would not have signed the Nov. 15, 2022, lease without an exclusivity guarantee.
Letters exchanged between Pizza Oven and Village officials last October show the two sides interpret the lease differently. Pizza Oven claims the Village violated the agreement, while the Village denies any wrongdoing.
The restaurant’s attorney, Terry J. Evans, is seeking to terminate the lease, recover legal fees and obtain other relief from the court. The filing requests a declaratory judgment, a legal process that avoids a full trial.
Pizza Oven opened its Hall of Fame Village location in fall 2023. A judge has not yet ruled on the matter.
