Cemeno's Pizza Lawsuit: 2 Sisters Seek At Least $2 Million

JOLIET, IL — One of Joliet's most popular restaurants, Cemeno's Pizza, is embroiled in a civil lawsuit that involves two of the sisters and shareholders suing siblings Michael Cemeno, Natalie Cemeno and Suzanne "Sue" Schultz seeking a judgment of at least $2 million.

The lawsuit — filed nine days before Christmas at the Will County Courthouse — states that Jill Glavan, a Joliet resident, is a 20 percent shareholder in Cemeno Investments and Cemeno's Pizza, while Sharon Hicks lives in North Aurora and is also a 20-percent shareholder.

Michael Cemeno, Natalie Cemeno, Sue Schultz, Jill Glavan and Sharon Hicks are the five children of the late Joe and Janice Cemeno. The parents opened their original Joliet restaurant in the Marycrest Shopping Center in 1976 as an Aurelio's Pizza franchise.

During a lengthy phone interview Tuesday afternoon, Sue Schultz told Joliet Patch that she was aware that her two sisters might be filing a lawsuit, based on conversations they have had with her brother Michael Cemeno. Sue Schultz told Patch she does not talk to Glavan and Hicks.

"That did not surprise me at all," Schultz said, of the lawsuit's filing. "It's just sad that it's come to that, and we've done nothing. They won't talk to me."

Schultz said that her two sisters, Glavan and Hicks, resigned as Cemeno's Pizza employees of their own accord, around 2019 and 2020, respectively. One of the sisters has opened a restaurant in Aurora, according to Schultz.

Schultz told Joliet Patch she and her brother are confident the civil lawsuit against them will get dismissed in the coming months.

As for the fact that two of the Cemeno sisters are suing their other two sisters and brother, "Who does that?" Schultz asked.

On Tuesday, Joliet Patch visited Cemeno's, dropping off a copy of the lawsuit and seeking a response to the lawsuit from the defendants.

Schultz called Patch back after reading the lawsuit. She said the lawsuit is all full of lies.

"I have done everything above board, everything," Schultz said. "There's two sides to everything, for sure. Everything we've made goes into the business."

Patch asked Schultz if she believed the lawsuit was filed out of jealousy toward her, her brother and their other sister, Natalie.

"Jealousy and greed," Schultz replied. "Why are they part of the seven deadly sins? It's 100 percent jealousy and greed."

According to the lawsuit, "Defendants Suzanne Schultz, Michael Cemeno and Natalie Cemeno are acting, and will continue to act, in a manner that is illegal, oppressive or fraudulent with respect to plaintiffs in their capacity as shareholders, directors or officers ..."

Hicks and Glavan allege their brother and two sisters have frozen them out of corporate decisions, locked them out of the corporation, failed to make timely and proportionate distributions of profits to them, authorized payments and salaries to "Defendants Suzanne Schultz and Natalie Cemeno and their family, to the detriment of the corporation and plaintiffs."

The lawsuit states that the defendants, Michael Cemeno of Shorewood, Natalie Cemeno of Joliet and Suzanne Schultz of Plainfield, are also 20 percent shareholders each in the family's pizza business.

The lawsuit also alleges the defendants have failed to exercise reasonable care to manage and maintain the business of Cemeno's Pizza, located at 1630 Essington Road, failed to notify them of meetings of the corporation's shareholders and directors and improperly utilized loans to the detriment of the corporation and shareholders.

The lawsuit contends that "Defendants Suzanne Schultz, Michael Cemeno and Natalie Cemeno have used and, on information and belief, continue to use funds of the corporation for personal profit."

During Tuesday's interview, Schultz told Joliet Patch that employee morale since both of her sisters quit has been incredibly high. Cemeno's currently has about 95 employees and the restaurant is thriving, Schultz said.

She said the lawsuit will have no impact whatsoever on any of the day-to-day operations at Cemeno's Pizza and the customers won't notice any difference in terms of quality of service.

As far as business goes, "it's been doing really, really well," Schultz said.

Regarding the lawsuit allegations made by two of her sisters, "I don't think any of it holds water," Schultz told Patch. "I'm reading it and none of it is true, no. Now, we're flourishing, and they want an exorbitant amount of money.

"Since they left, there's no drama here. And you can talk to my employees. They love working here. That's what we wanted. We're flourishing; thank you Jesus every day!"

The plaintiffs are represented by attorney John Bielski of Bielski Chapman on North Wacker Drive in Chicago. Bielski Chapman has asked that a Will County judge order a full accounting with respect to all matters in dispute and appoint a custodian to manage the business and affairs of the Cemeno's Pizza corporation.

Joliet Patch has left a message seeking comment from the plaintiff's lawyer. Patch will update this article if Bielski responds.

In count one of their shareholder lawsuit against Cemeno's Pizza, Glavan and Hicks are seeking a monetary judgment in excess of $100,000 "to fairly compensate them for profits of the corporation that have been wrongfully withheld from them."

In addition, Glavan and Hicks have asked that a court order the purchase of all shareholders' shares "for their fair value ... in an amount at least $1.2 million."

In count two, against Cemeno's Investments Inc., Glavan and Hicks are also seeking a judgment in excess of $100,000 plus "the purchase of all of shareholders' shares for their fair value, in an amount to be determined by this court, but in an amount at least $773,987."

The plaintiffs also want Michael Cemeno, Natalie Cemeno and Suzanne Schultz to be responsible for the payment of their costs to bring the civil lawsuit forward and "grant such other or further relief, including dissolution of the corporation, as the court deems just and equitable."

According to the Cemeno's Pizza website, the following are key dates in the Joliet Italian restaurant's history:

On July 19, 1976, Joseph and Janice Cemeno opened a small storefront pizza restaurant on Jefferson Street in Joliet.

1985: the Cemeno's opened in the Twin Oaks shopping center, adding banquet rooms and the sports bar known as "Joe's Dugout."

1996: the Cemenos bought land and built their current restaurant on Essington Road.

2002: the family dissolved its Aurelio's franchise and became Cemeno's Pizza.

2007: Joe Cemeno died.

2018: Janice Cemeno died.

According to Google Reviews, Cemeno's Pizza has had 1,777 reviews, averaging 4.4 stars out of 5 stars. On social media, the Cemeno's Pizza Facebook page has 7,300 followers and 7,200 likes. The Facebook page proclaims, "Cemeno's Pizza has been a family-owned Joliet tradition since 1976."