Advertisement Most Meat House stores in NH close down Owner says closures not related to lawsuit Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Customers of the Meat House are wondering why most of the company’s stores have closed in New Hampshire.Click here to view News 9’s reportAs of Monday afternoon, only stores in Dover and Amherst remained open. At some locations, customers found signs on the doors explaining that the stores were closed for renovations. The Meat House operates six stores in the Granite State and has other locations and franchises in 10 states. Franchised stores across the country are still operating.Co-owner Justin Rosberg told News 9 that the stores are simply closed for remodeling. Rosberg said that the stores will re-open in two to four weeks and that this was planned for now because the company is less busy at this time of year.Rosberg said the closures have nothing to do with a recently filed lawsuit discovered by News 9 Investigates.The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Jan. 22 against J&J Investments LLC, the parent company for the Meat House and its owners, Rosberg and Jason Parent, seeks payment for investors who said the company is in breach of a repayment agreement.The lawsuit, brought by four investors from Massachusetts, is seeking $350,000 plus 20 percent, along with interest and legal fees. The lawsuit says the investment agreement "specifically allowed the Investors to demand repayment of their respective investment plus twenty percent after the first anniversary date of the agreement." That anniversary date was Nov. 16, 2011. The lawsuit goes on to say that repeated requests for repayment have not been fulfilled.Later on, the documents say that the owners reached a deal to repay the investors $2,000 each week; however, payments never started. Another demand for payment was then made on March 28, 2013. "Since that time, Rosberg and Parent have consistently informed the Investors that they would be closing a refinancing or receiving an equity investment, which would result in total repayment," the lawsuit said. However, no payment materialized. "Early in January of 2014, Rosberg and Parent informed the Investors that a loan refinancing that was scheduled to close had fallen through."The documents say that according to royalty data that the investors had, in the first seven months of 2013, the Meat House received a total of $883,337 in royalty payments from franchises, and the investors would like all future royalty payments direct to them until the investment is repaid.Rosberg said the company's attorneys will be handling the lawsuit.Phone numbers used for franchising inquiries had a message saying the phone lines were not in operation.The attorney for the investors had no comment about the legal action.