Residents reject pancake house proposal, physician but EZPAWN still looking for other locations
By La Risa Lynch
Chatham residents handedly rejected a proposal by a national pawnshop chain to open in the shuttered Chatham Pancake House, 700 E. 87th St., but that may not preclude EZCORP from opening in another Chatham location.
Member of subarea six of the Chatham Avalon Park Community Council voted down EZCORP, operators of EZPAWN stores, to locate in the Pancake House. But EZCORP officials proclaimed they “will come back” to convince residents that the company is the right fit for the community.
“We really want to be here” EZCORP’s attorney Amy Kurson told CAPCC members at a September 28th meeting held at Seaway Bank, 645 E. 87th St. The meeting was held for those living in proximity to the proposed pawn shop.
But residents questioned whether a pawnshop fits in with the middle class neighborhood that has seen a spike in crime over the years. The area has traditionally been home to several Black businesses.
Check out other EZPAWN locations
“I feel that it would add an influx of negativity that would come into the area,” Chatham resident Dorothee Butts said. “Trying to keep the traditions of Chatham is what we are fighting for.”
EZCORP’s Senior Vice President of Human Resources Anthony “Tony” Sanders said that the company is a respectable business and fits well in Chatham.
He said many of its stores are located in middle and upper middle class neighborhoods including a store in Arlington Heights. EZCORP operates 1,100 stores in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. He added EZCORP’s interest in Chatham is one of economics. The community has the population density as well as the wealth.
“We want to be where people have money so they can buy our things [and] also where they have wealth where they can trade things. That’s what a pawn shop is to a certain extent,” Sanders said, adding that the company also wants to expand to Naperville.
Confusion erupted during the meeting when EZCORP officials said that they are interested in other Chatham locations. EZCORP prefers the pancake house but Sanders said: “we are not stuck on that location.”
That confusion nearly ended the meeting early. CAPCC Executive Vice President Maryellen Drake informed EZCORP’s officials that if they wanted to consider other Chatham locations, they should have presented to the group’s general meeting. The Sept. 28th meeting, Drake explained, was specifically for the pancake house location.
“We already heard from the community, trying to get our feedback early, that you might not want us in the pancake house,” Kurson said. “If the pancake house is the issue, we don’t have to be in the pancake house.”
EZCORP, she said, wants to be flexible and look at locations near or in the Chatham Village Shopping Mall located at 87th and Cottage Grove Ave.
Kurson apologized for the confusion. CAPCC allowed EZCORP officials to continue with their presentation with the understanding that a vote would still be taken at the close of the meeting regarding their proposal to go into the pancake house. CAPCC invited EZCORP to attend the organization’s Oct. 10th general meeting at 6 p.m. at Chatham Avalon Church of God, 8601 S. State St.
Kurson saw the meeting as a way to introduce residents to the company, which is publicly traded on the stock market. She hoped the meeting would allay any trepidation residents may have.
“Part of the reason we are here tonight is to make a relationship with you,” she said.
Sanders went on to explain that EZPAWN retail stores buys and sells merchandise as well as provides small short-term loans of up to $120. He noted that 70 percent of its clients are repeat customers, “so we are not having people coming in with one-offs.”
The company polices itself to prevent from receiving stolen goods. The store requires a state ID to pawn merchandise, and all transactions are videotaped. Additionally, serial numbers on merchandise are recorded and then reported to law enforcement agencies.
“We have so many things in place to make certain that we are not taking any type of stolen merchandise,” Sanders said.
The company plans to hire between five to eight employees from the community. Starting pay for managers is $40,000 plus commission and base pay for staffers is $18,000. Sanders noted the company gives back to communities it resides in. Each store can donate up to $500 to any community group it wants.
“We are not coming in to take and not give back,” Sanders said.
Chatham resident Bill Rayborn was still not convinced. He noted many of EZCORP’s pawn shops listed on a fact sheet provided to residents are not located in middle class neighborhoods, but low-income areas.
“You threw out the name Naperville. If you get it into Naperville maybe I can go along with it here,” he quipped.
Though residents voted down the proposal, the final decision is with the Sixth Ward Ald. Rod Sawyer.
When asked if the alderman would follow residents’ wishes, Drake said: “In most cases, because the aldermen want to keep favor with the people who elected them, they normally go with the people that elected them.”