Wendy's will become Burger King

Cloquet Wendy’s store sold, Burger King coming

The Wendy’s in Cloquet is closed for good, and will be replaced by Burger King.

“Thanks for a great 15 years,” says a sign on the window of the local fast food restaurant, which is located in a prime spot between Highway 33 and the local Walmart store. “We appreciate all the support. The friendships we’ve made, and all the great employees who worked here.”

Chicago-based Cave Enterprises will be leasing the property in Cloquet and the London Road property in Duluth, said Cave Enterprise president Adam Velarde, adding that they are currently negotiating the lease.

Velarde said they hired all 65 employees of the Cloquet and Duluth store.

“We were informed that Wendy’s would be closing abruptly so we called the restaurants and spoke to the owner and hired the employees,” he said. “They’re training now at our other Burger King stores and we will place them back at those locations when they reopen. We didn’t want the jobs to be lost.”

County Assessor Kyle Holmes said the last sale of the Wendy’s building on record in his office was to Midwest Pacific Investments, LLC out of Orange, California in January 2015 for $1,555,000.

Velarde said Cave Enterprises is not buying the property, just planning to lease it.