The Penguin Drive-In Owner Agrees To Hand Over Keys To Iconic Restaurant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The owner of a famous Plaza-Midwood restaurant, The Penguin Drive-In, has agreed to turn over the keys to the landlord.  

Lisa Ballentine said she would give up the keys to the restaurant during a bankruptcy hearing Monday morning.  

A judged ruled to evict the operators of The Penguin Drive-In in August.  According to paperwork filed in court, the owners of the restaurant allegedly broke their lease.

The paperwork states Ballentine owes more than $17,000 in rent.  The power was cut to the restaurant several months.  

A lawyer for Commonwealth Avenue Holdings, the landlord and owner of the property, alluded to the possibility of a investor or the sale of the restaurant.  Both sides will be back in court on November 13th.

The Penguin has been a fixture in Plaza-Midwood since the 1950’s.  The restaurant has been featured on several television shows and movies.