City orders D.P. Dough closed over failure to pay local taxes

DeKALB – The city of DeKalb this week shut down the calzone establishment D.P. Dough, alleging the business violated municipal code by failing to pay its local restaurant taxes.

The business, 215 W. Lincoln Highway, was ordered to cease and desist from operations as of Tuesday, according to a closure order that could be seen on the front door of the business Wednesday. The business has 35 days to appeal, the closure order states.

City Manager Bill Nicklas said D.P. Dough still has an opportunity to right a situation that has been wronged.

“The restaurant/bar tax, the 2% tax had not been paid going on four months,” Nicklas said. “There is no exception. … Every restaurant annually has to be re-inspected for life/safety. There are some sanitary and health checkpoints and also some fire prevention checkpoints. They just passed that, but they had not paid up on the past due restaurant/bar taxes.”

D.P. Dough first opened its doors for business in September 2023. The restaurant is known for its freshly oven-baked calzones.

Nicklas declined to say what, if any, code violations D.P. Dough had.

Attempts to reach D.P. Dough representatives for comment were unsuccessful.

Nicklas did not give a set timeline for when the business must tender the money owed to the city in order to reopen the establishment.

A document posted from the city’s hearing office showed a hearing officer entered a default June 10 for D.P. Dough after business representatives did not appear at a hearing for a closure order.

“They failed to appear in court to answer for the back due taxes,” Nicklas said. “They were fined by the administrative hearing officer, and they have to pay those fines as well.”