Technical error shuts off phones at Speedway restaurant ahead of Indianapolis 500

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — There’s a big problem at Dawson’s on Main in Speedway — it doesn’t have a phone number that works when dialed. The month of May is the restaurant’s busiest of the year, and without a phone, the month could be a financial disaster.

“It’s really a tough deal not having any type of phones,” said Tony Hill, the owner of Dawson’s on Main. “You know, this is our Super Bowl. Not hearing the phones ring is a little weird at this restaurant for sure.”

The phones aren’t ringing at Dawson’s on Main due to a technical error that happened when the phone number was switched from Comcast to AT&T. Both companies claim the restaurant’s phone number is sitting somewhere in the cloud, and neither one of them can access it. Dialing the restaurant’s number, (317) 247-7000, doesn’t connect callers with the business.

 “I can’t imagine if we were going to be open Mother’s Day, which we have been for years and years and years,” Hill said. “We can’t take reservations, so it’s really silly for us to try and be open on Mother’s Day. That’s a killer too.”

Hill owns the restaurant with his brother. He said business normally picks up starting on the first weekend in May. But after going back and forth with the two phone companies since January, the phones at Dawson’s on Main completely shut off during the last weekend of April. While comparing his books to last year, Hill said he’s lost $20,000 in one week because customers can’t make reservations or call in to-go orders.

“Yesterday, I looked back at what we missed from a year ago,” Hill said. “We did $1,440 in just to-gos. Yesterday we did $109.”

Until the issue is fixed, customers can put orders in at https://www.dawsonsonmain.com/ and one of the staff members will call back from their personal cell phone. Then, early next week, AT&T is sending temporary phones, but between now and then, Dawson’s on Main is losing money with every unanswered call.

“The problem is that 247-7000 number is up in the cloud, it’s somewhere,” Hill said. “No one has possession of it. AT&T says they don’t. Comcast says they don’t, and I know we don’t.”