Susan SzuchSpringfield News-Leader
This week in Springfield restaurant news, an owner of area Sonic Drive-Ins was found dead, a local chef is facing tax charges, an Armenian restaurant is preparing to open, and a Springfield company plans to open a new bar in Arkansas.
Sonic Drive-In franchisee owner found dead in Lake of the Ozarks
A Springfield businessman who went missing was found dead near a Lake of the Ozarks golf course last week.
Brent L. Johnson, 59, was reported missing by family on July 22 after leaving a hotel late Sunday evening, according to the Camden County Sheriff's Office. A volunteer search team found Johnson's body on July 24 about a half a mile from the hotel in a wooded area near the golf course.
Detectives do not suspect foul play in the death.
According to Johnson's LinkedIn page, he was president of Excel Investments III Inc., an investment company that owns and operates Sonic Drive-In restaurants. About a dozen of those were in Missouri, according to reporting by the Springfield Business Journal, and his obituary said he ran 36 restaurants in four states.
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Local restaurateur charged with not filing, paying taxes
Stephanie Wigger, former owner of Farm Fresh in Nixa, is facing charges for not filing or paying various taxes in Christian County.
Wigger has been charged with four counts of failing to file quarterly sales taxes, four counts of failing to pay quarterly sales tax, five counts of failing to file withholding tax returns and eight counts of failing to pay withholding tax. The crimes are alleged to have taken place between July 2020 and April 2022 in Christian County, according to the filing documents.
When contacted by an agent with the Missouri Department of Revenue in February 2022, Wigger said she was aware Farm Fresh was behind on tax payments, but that she believed filings were current, according to the probably cause statement. In a July 2023 interview, Wigger said she was working with her accountant to complete tax filings.
Each charge carries the possibility of up to five years in prison or up to a $10,000 fine. The charging documents say Wigger owes the State of Missouri $48,117.49 in taxes.
Wigger was formerly a chef for The Gypsy food truck. She said that the situation was not intentionally deceptive, but a result of the pandemic's impact on the economy and stress. After the economy didn't rebound following the COVID-19 shutdown, Wigger said she lost everything she had when the restaurant closed and her landlord sued her for breaking her lease.
"I hope to come up with some sort of repayments arrangement to get this taken care of," Wigger said. "It was in no way intentional to be deceptive, my entire life collapsed around me and I couldn't get it together."
Armenian restaurant opens on National Avenue
Charcoal Grill House, 3522 S. National Ave., is in the process of opening. The restaurant, which is in the space formerly occupied by D'Vine Delicatessen, is serving Armenian food from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
As its name implies, kebabs and other dishes are cooked over charcoal grills in the store. The menu currently includes shawarma kebabs — which are available in pork, chicken, beef or lamb — fresh salads, khachapuri (a Georgian bread filled with cheese and eggs) and kvas, a fermented beverage.
Armenia is a country of about 3 million people bordered by Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran.
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Golden Girl, Best of Luck owners opening Bentonville spot
Good Spirits & Co., 1424 E. Cherry St., is opening a bar in Bentonville, Arkansas, this fall: Loveless co*cktail Club at 215 NW A St. No. 170.
"Enjoy the hifi sounds of the house system while you crush some cold drinks and a dog or two. Curated listening experiences, rotating DJ sets, classic and new & improved co*cktails and a hot dog counter fit to make any mouth water," Good Spirits & Co. posted on Instagram.
In addition to Golden Girl Rum Club (137 Park Central Square) and Best of Luck Beer Hall (313-B S. Jefferson Ave.) in Springfield, Good Spirits & Co. also runs Cherry Picker Package X Fare (601 S. Pickwick), Sweet Boy's Neighborhood Bar (310 S. South Ave.) and a Scotch & Soda in Bentonville. The Springfield Scotch & Soda location closed in 2020.
Susan Szuch reports on health and food for the SpringfieldNews-Leader. Follow her onX, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
