Owner’s death, general manager’s health lead to decision to close Quincy’s Steak ‘n Shake on Sept. 23

QUINCY — The November death of the owner of Quincy’s Steak ‘n Shake franchise at 3819 Broadway has led to the decision to close the restaurant this month.

Todd Dugal, the restaurant’s general manager who said owner Paul Ledgard had “taken me under his wing” for the past five years, posted on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon that Steak ‘n Shake, famous for its Steakburger and hand-dipped milkshakes, will close Sept. 23.

Ledgard of Burlingame, Kan., died Nov. 14, 2023, in a Topeka, Kan., hospital at age 72. Ledgard, owner of Ledgard Restaurants LLC, bought Heartland Steak ‘n Shake in 2006 and owned and operated as many as 11 restaurants in the Topeka area and the Midwest.

“Everything fell on his wife (Cindy after Ledgard’s death),” Dugal said Wednesday afternoon. “She’s 70 years old, and it was his business. (The family is) just getting completely out of the business, and they’ve already closed some of the stores in Kansas City. Steak ‘n Shake just has not stepped up, as far as a corporation, to try to take over.”

Ledgard had leased the property from Duryea Realty, LLC. The agent is William Duryea of Quincy. Duryea’s father, John Duryea, owned and operated the Steak ‘n Shake for 20 years before closing the restaurant in March 2015. It reopened under new ownership later that year.

Dugal, 60, said he’s been doing “everything he can” to keep the restaurant going after Ledgard’s death. However, he said he has a severe case of glaucoma and is going blind.

“I have got the most phenomenal crew, and I just don’t say that lightly,” he said. “I’ve got a great manager who’s working the production side of things, and I was just working more or less like a business consultant, keeping everything going for the family.

“I was doing everything. I just can’t physically now. I love the job. I love doing it, but physically, I’m just not able to because of my vision problems.”

Dugal said the restaurant continues to be profitable. It was projected to do between $1.5 million and $1.6 million in profit this year.

“The store is doing good,” Dugal said. “It’s a great location. As far as making money, I mean, it’s a great business, even if somebody else were to come in with another name or their own restaurant. We’re not going out of business or losing money. We just no longer have the backing of the family business.”

Dugal said operating a restaurant is on the mind of the owner all day every day.

“You either love it or you hate it, as far as the business goes,” he said. “I love people, so it’s a people business. Paul always said, ‘We’re not the restaurant business. We’re in the people business.’ That’s the way he approached it, that’s the way he taught me, and that’s the way we looked at it. If I didn’t have any health problems, I would probably be doing whatever I could and keep it going.”