
By Sara Beth Williams–
Questions surround the apparent closure of a local drive-thru restaurant on Auburn Boulevard after only three years in business.
Rally’s, which serves food in a drive-thru format, has been closed for at least a week. The company’s listing on both Yelp and Google indicates that the restaurant is “temporarily closed,” and a location search on the company’s website also lists the location at 7911 Auburn Boulevard as closed. Previously, the restaurant operated from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
A sign saying, “Sorry, we’re closed,” could be seen last Saturday but was taken down as of Thursday. The business still appeared to be closed on multiple visits to the location during the week by Sentinel staff. A green card could be seen posted in the front window, indicating that the restaurant had passed its most recent annual health inspection on Oct. 3, 2024. Owner Ben Aibuedefe did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In October 2021, opening day for Rally’s burger drive-thru saw long lines of vehicles extending into the adjacent bowling alley parking lot, with additional customers lining up at a walk-up window. Aibuedefe had told The Sentinel prior to the grand opening, that he had struggled to hire enough staff, which initially delayed the opening.
According to previous reports, initial reviews on Yelp showed above 4 stars and positive comments, while current restaurant reviews show the restaurant has a 2.2-star rating, with multiple customers complaining about greasy food and rude customer service.
The lot where Rally’s sits is also listed for sale on commercial real estate site LoopNet for $1.6 million. The lot was initially listed for sale in early 2024 with an asking price of $2 million.
The long-vacant parcel was once an eye-sore but received significant improvements in curb appeal when Rally’s restaurant opened in October 2021.
The 890-foot burger joint features a drive-thru-only model, with no indoor seating by design. A small outdoor patio area has tables for diners to use.
Rally’s is a franchise location of the Florida-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurant Inc., which has over 800 locations nationwide and about 40 in California. The fast-food chain offers items like seasoned fries, big burgers, chicken wings, and milkshakes and markets itself in different parts of the country under the brand names Rally’s and Checker’s.
Questions surround the apparent closure of a local drive-thru-only restaurant...
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