SARANAC LAKE — The operators of the historic Casa del Sol restaurant will be leaving at the end of the year.

Shannon and Rick Bromley, who have operated the Tex-Mex restaurant for the past six years on a lease, are leaving due to an ongoing lease dispute and lawsuit between themselves and the owners of the Casa del Sol property, assets and brand.

The owners of the restaurant say they intend to keep the restaurant going with new management.

The announcement, made by Bromley Hospitality, LLC on Facebook on Dec. 11 says they’ll be leaving effective Jan. 1, 2026.

“We are proud to say that we never compromised our integrity, but life is sweet and there is an unquantifiable value in protecting our peace,” the Bromleys wrote in a good-bye message to customers. “Making this decision has been bittersweet.”

They said Rick and much of the “Casa crew” will be joining Downhill Grill on Main Street in January.

“Our team is sticking together,” the Bromleys wrote. “You can expect the same level of great service, food and drinks that you have become accustomed to when you visit us at Downhill.”

Tim Reilly, Charles Duffy and Jerry Michael bought all the tangible and intangible assets of the restaurant in 2013 with the purpose of preserving the legacy of Casa. They all grew up going there and have great memories at Casa. Next year will mark 50 years of the restaurant being open. Reilly said that’s a long time for a business to be open here.

Reilly said they’re “looking forward now to the next chapter.” They plan to find a new operator and run it under the “same MO.” The restaurant has a “pretty thick recipe book” built up over the years.

He declined to comment on the lawsuit, “out of respect” for the tenants and everyone involved. He said he didn’t think he’d have anything substantive to say.

“We had a good relationship with the Bromleys,” Reilly said.

They had a close relationship for six years, he said. Now, they’re “marching forward.”

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The lawsuit

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The lawsuit filed in Essex County Supreme Court last year shows two “conference – settlement” court appearances on Dec. 8 and 9, but the online database did not have any more information on the latest happenings of the case.

The Bromleys, through their company Bromley Hospitality, LLC, sued Reilly, Duffy and Michael’s Casa Del Sol De Mexico, LLC over the lease for the building.

When they started operation in 2020, the Bromleys say they signed a five-year lease. The landowners say they had entered into a lease that was longer than a year and negotiated a multi-year lease but never signed it.

In May 2024, the Bromley’s were served with a 30-day notice to leave. The landowners said they could not find a signed copy of the lease and that the Bromleys were month-to-month tenants.

The Bromleys provided the landowners with a signed lease and asked for notice to be withdrawn. They did not get a response. The landowners questioned whether this provided signed lease was legitimate. They allege that either Reilly’s signature was forged or that his signature was attached from a different document onto an unsigned lease.

The landowners attempted to evict the Bromleys in July 2024, and they responded with this lawsuit.

The landowners allege that the Bromleys are running the restaurant there illegally.

There was a lease addendum which cut the Bromley’s rent from $4,000 to $2,000 during the coronavirus pandemic, with the payments deferred. The landowners allege that they were not paid the $18,000 in deferred rent.

The landowners filed counterclaims, demanding $18,175 for unpaid rent and $931.25 in late fees. They also allege that the operators failed to make repairs and damaged the Casa reputation with unsanitary and dangerous conditions in the kitchen and bathrooms, including health law violations.

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History of the house

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Casa del Sol was founded by Harry Tucker in 1978 in the former La Petite Restaurant and Motel property. It’s become a staple of town with its southern-style architecture and dishes unique to the North Country.

It was operated by Bryan Morgan from 2008 to 2012, but fell into bankruptcy.

After Reilly, Duffy and Michael bought it in a bank auction in 2013, they leased it to Walter McClure and Marie Beth Wigger in 2014. These two ran it until the Bromleys took over in 2020.