NEENAH (NBC 26) — Hugo Ramirez, owner of Allchillakill & Ice Cream Cereal Bar in Neenah, is closing his business after his lease was terminated when the building's owner, Krueger's True Value, decided to close and sell the property.
Ramirez, who also owns Frio Mexican Treats in Appleton, opened Allchillakill less than two years ago as a sister shop featuring ice cream, churros, and other Mexican food creations.
I sat down with Ramirez to learn more about his decision to close.
Building sale forces unexpected closure
Ramirez leases Allchillakill's building from the owners of Krueger's True Value, which sits across from his shop on the same property. When Krueger's announced its closure and decision to sell the property due to the owners' retirement, Allchillakill's building was included in the sale.
"About a week ago, yes," Ramirez said when asked when he learned his lease was terminated.
The True Value store owners offered Ramirez the option to lease both buildings, but the cost proved prohibitive.
"They gave us the option, if we want to keep leasing, we'll lease this and the other building. But, I mean, it's not something that we can even afford, to be honest," Ramirez said.
Krueger's True Value confirms circumstances
Krueger's True Value provided NBC 26 with a statement confirming the situation:
"We can confirm that the termination of Allchillakill's lease...is in fact due to the imminent closure of the store due to the owners' imminent retirement. Krueger's has enjoyed working with Mr. Ramirez and wishes him nothing but the best in the future.
Community support offers hope for future
Despite the unexpected closure, Ramirez maintains a positive outlook on the situation.
"[I'm] happy and sad because as a small business owner, failure is a part of the process, if you want to call it," Ramirez said.
I then asked him if he considers Allchillakill a failure.
"No, I wouldn't call it failure. I would call it a reset. It's not over until you say you throw the towel," Ramirez said.
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