"I loved the garden. It was perfect for an outdoor wedding," said Erin Dietterick, referring to the gardens of the Gypsy Rose Restaurant and her reservation for a May wedding.
But the bride-to-be and her future mother-in-law are reeling. The Montgomery County landmark closed abruptly, leaving them in a lurch and short a five thousand dollar deposit.
"I am really upset because we have no place to have a wedding now, and now we're $5,000 short out of the budget," said Kathi Johnson.
People at the Gypsy Rose spotted our camera, ran inside and refused to talk. The phone went unanswered. A frustrated Johnson contacted county detectives.
At the sprawling restaurant, we found Gail Mitchell, the inn keeper. "We're going to refund all those deposits," he said. But when asked if people could come by and pick up their money today, he replied, "I don't have any money. That is why I closed my business."
Mitchell estimates he owes $20,000 to about a dozen people. As for the Johnson-Dietterick nuptials, Mitchell said he could not say when they will get back their deposit.
