Burger King's reopening depends on Cedar Point

PERKINS TWP. — One local restaurant directly cited Cedar Point's closure due to COVID-19 as a reason to not yet reopen. Cedar Point's parent company, Cedar Fair, argued weeks ago to the Ohio House that the park's reopening was vital to local businesses. The Burger King on Milan Road, across the street from Arby's, added strength to the amusement park company's claim. The restaurant closed in March due to Gov. Mike DeWine's restrictions designed to hinder the spread of the virus. Almost two weeks after he allowed restaurants to reopen, this chain remains closed, raising questions from some Register readers. TOMS King, the franchise owner of the location, decided to keep the restaurant closed for the time being because of the continued closure of the area's greatest attraction, Cedar Point. "Although we can now reopen for dine-in and carry out business, our revenue is highly dependent on the customer traffic generated by Cedar Point," TOMS King CEO Matt Carpenter said. Carpenter's company is one of the largest Burger King franchisees operating more than 130 restaurants in five states. It took control of the location in 2018 after the previous franchise owner went bankrupt. Carpenter said the current closure of the location would be temporary. "We will reopen once we have definitive confirmation of the reopening of the amusement park," Carpenter said. DeWine said this week he will provide an update on when Cedar Point, other amusement parks and tourist attractions can reopen. The Burger King on West Perkins Avenue near Sandusky High School, which has different owners, is open for drive-thru only.