BROOKFIELD, Wisc. — Jake's Restaurant in Brookfield faces a foreclosure sale according to court filings.
The news came after TMJ4 found the restaurant was behind on payroll and sales taxes.
Tyson Ballos says his company, Making the Cut Asphalt Services in Muskego, worked on the restaurant's parking lot nearly 2 years ago. Ballos explained they still have not been paid despite efforts to resolve the issue.
VIDEO: Contractor frustrated as Jake's Restaurant faces foreclosure
He reached out to TMJ4 after seeing recent coverage of the financial trouble at the restaurant.
Ballos stated they were hired to restore the parking lot. He recommended full replacement, but since it wasn't in the owner's budget they planned to complete as much restoration as possible.
"The interaction we did have everything felt very comfortable," Ballos shared.
However, after their crew completed the first half of the job filling large potholes Ballos says they struggled to receive any payment.
"The initial total on the invoice prior to any late fees was $9,240," Ballos said while detailing a copy of an invoice dated January 2023.
The total grew to $11,067.75 after a series of late fees.
Ballos explained that when he learned about the issue the window to file a contractor's lien had already closed.
"It's very frustrating so again this is six months prior that we did the work. Our employees got their paychecks. They cleared. The material that was purchased from the asphalt plant. They got paid. Our insurance got paid. Our fuel got paid. Everybody got paid except us," Ballos added.
Making the Cut Asphalt Services says its team reached out to the restaurant owner almost daily for months to try and recoup the money.
"It was certainly a big hit for us. We felt it in our office. We struggle to keep up with other bills for several weeks during the process after that," Ballos recalled.
TMJ4 reached out to the owner of Jake's Restaurant again by phone, at the restaurant, and over email but got no response.
"I don't care if it was 50 bucks a month. Anything would've made us feel better than just flat-out ignoring us," Ballos said.
The experience changed how Ballos does business. He has accepted that he will not get any money for the work his team did.
"Whatever position got him here I do feel bad genuinely, and I wish him the best. There's not a ton more to it," Ballos stated.
Two weeks ago the owner of Jake's Restaurant released a statement apologizing to those impacted by what he called "inappropriate accounting and cash management practices."
That statement said the restaurant would reopen. The restaurant is scheduled to go up for sale on August 14.
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