If Mitten Pizza of Gun Lake is unable to strike a deal reducing its electrical bill with Great Lakes Energy, it may have to close.
Pizza shop owner Jamie Zichterman learned last month that his business is nearly $20,000 in arrears on its monthly payments. Great Lakes Energy apparently failed to read a second meter on the property for years and now is charging him for the difference owed for the past year.
Zichterman reported the eatery’s monthly electric bill has been a little less than $500. Hoever, he received notice Mitten Pizza owes Great Lakes Energy in $19,795.74 in back charges.
Zichterman said he has paid what he has been billed every month and if he knew it was going to be significantly more, he would have paid it. But he wasn’t given the proper information because of an error made by the company.
Great Lakes officials indicated an interest in negotiating with its customers because it is an electric cooperative. No answer was given about negotiating a payment plan with reduced amounts because they said they need to talk with Zichterman.
A friend of the business, Joel Pease, has organized a Go Fund Me Facebook page to help keep the business open in case no deal is made.
Zichterman on social media said, “This is not a bill that Mitten Pizza LLC can afford to pay, so it is with great sadness that we are announcing that we WILL close the doors on Nov. 1 and cease operations completely if we are unable to negotiate this bill down to a number that isn’t laughable. We are a small owner operator pizza place, not a huge chain that has millions in accounts and lawyers paid to handle these circumstances.
“It is NOT our goal to close down a business that the community loves, but unless we can figure out a solution with the electric company, that is the current plan. We will continue to exhaust all avenues and ideas to get over this hump.”
Mitten Pizza has been open on Chief Noonday Road since 2015.
