Parmesan's Frankfort Closes Amid Charges, Lawsuits Against Owner

FRANKFORT, IL — Parmesans Wood Stone Pizza in Frankfort has closed, according to village of Frankfort board documents. The Frankfort Village Board reduced the number of Class D-1 liquor licenses permitted in the village to reflect the closing of the restaurant.

The closing of the restaurant comes after its owner, Michael Papandrea, of Frankfort, faces multiple lawsuits and charges of unauthorized video recording. Papandrea was charged in March 2020 with unauthorized video recording after police say he filmed up-skirt videos of several of his employees without their consent. Illinois State Police launched an investigation after receiving a tip about the alleged video recording, and during a search of the business, police said they found and seized electronic devices containing several unauthorized videos of female employees.

In February, a second lawsuit was filed against Papandrea, and his busineses Parmesans Wood Stone Pizza in Frankfort, Parmesans Station in Tinley Park and Parmesans Manheim in Chicago. According to that lawsuit, eight employees, some as young as age 14, say he secretly shot up-skirt videos using a shoe camera and a camera over a bathroom toilet.

It is not known exactly when the Frankfort location closed, but the village of Tinley Park told Patch that Parmesan's Station closed in 2020.

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