DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — A central Ohio Bob Evans that closed earlier this year is now on the market.
A listing posted by Goodman Real Estate Services Group, which doesn’t include a sale price, advertises the chain’s Sawmill location at 3830 Tuller Road as a “Dublin restaurant building” for sale. The location’s Facebook page has been marked as permanently closed, and calls to the restaurant’s phone number are directed to other nearby Bob Evans.
“This site has been permanently closed,” a recorded message states when calling the Sawmill eatery. “We do have nearby locations ready to assist you at Bob Evans Powell [and] Bob Evans Bethel Road.”
It’s unclear when the eatery closed. Crexi, a Los Angeles-based commercial real estate agency with an online catalog of listings nationwide, claims that the property has been on the market since June 3. However, the restaurant’s Facebook was active this past summer, posting photos and videos through June and July.
Goodman’s listing states that the restaurant spans 5,000 square feet with 100 parking spaces, built in 1987 and then renovated in 2012. The listing also includes market research on the area’s demographic, like population estimates and the average household income within three miles, which it states is $125,915.
According to the Franklin County Auditor’s Office, the building has yet to find a buyer. Auditor’s office records show that the building was last transferred ownership in July of 2023 to “Cot Bob 44 Dublin” for a sale price $955,621.
Headquartered in central Ohio, Bob Evans began exploring a change in ownership this past spring and hired an investment bank named Kroll to aid in overseeing the process, according to multiple reports. Bob Evans is owned by a private equity firm based in San Francisco named Golden Gate Capital, which purchased the chain in 2017 for $565 million.
Farmer Bob Evans founded the restaurant concept in 1948 with a 12-stool diner in Gallipolis, Ohio, then expanded in 1962 with a restaurant called “The Sausage Shop.” Today, the chain is headquartered in New Albany and operates more than 435 locations across 18 states, with about 35 restaurants in Ohio.
Another shuttered Bob Evans at 3988 E. Broad St. is on track to become a Wendy’s. John Marth, construction manager at Wendy’s, applied to the city of Whitehall for a special use permit to equip the restaurant with a drive-in window and other drive-in facilities.
