In late 2017, when Roger Wilson, who owned the building housing Greenbush and Rocky's, first approached his family about renewing their lease, they didn't like the terms, Carlson said.

"The way it was written wasn't really favoring us at all," Carlson said. Then, by the time they were supposed to meet again to discuss it, Wilson was diagnosed with cancer. He died last September, before both parties could agree to a new lease.

Long history

Donna Wilson, who owns the building, said her late husband and his father built the building, and she ran Donuts Unlimited with her husband where Greenbush is now. Her father-in-law ran the diner, Dunk or Dine, next door.

"They'd been in the doughnut business for years and had run into some financial straits," Miller, 77, said. "And so basically we bought the thing on a fire sale. Gosh, we walked in there at age 54 and we just bought a job and knew nothing about the business."

That was 1996. Miller and his wife, Barbara, founded Greenbush and turned the shop into what Miller calls "Madison's little darling."