Swallow your sandwich and breathe a sigh of relief: Ike's Place has made it through the first round of its legal hurdles. I haven't been reporting every new development in this increasingly complicated case, in which the landlord is demanding $1 million and threatening to evict the stellar sandwich shop because its booming business creates huge crowds. But I am glad to report that today, summary judgment concluded in favor of Ike's.
That means the possibility of an eviction with just three days' notice is off the table. According to SFoodie, "Ike's landlord will have to decide whether he wants to take the case to trial, or engage in some kind of settlement." I, for one, hope this is the last we hear about it, for the sake of Ike's and sandwiches everywhere.
The lines at Ike's Place are long, but my list of complaints is short: besides the lines, I have none. Apparently, not everyone is so happy. Two of the blockbuster sammie stand's neighbors and the building landlord are demanding something like $1 million in compensation, saying the famous crowds are disrupting their domestic peace.
According to owner Ike Shehadeh, the settlement offer stipulates that if Ike's Place wants to stay in its current location, it needs to pay $800,000 for the neighbors to leave. Or, the restaurant can move and still pay $200K for the neighbors' troubles.
Really, people? This is how we want to treat our successful local small-business owners? Come on. Ike's isn't a nightclub. Its crowds don't start fights, billow clouds of smoke into windows, make lots of noise . . . I've never even seen anyone sitting on a neighboring stoop to eat a sandwich. The sandwich lovers clustering around Ike's are no more rowdy than the genteel Zazie brunch bustle in Cole Valley.
The most ridiculous part is, Ike could not be a nicer guy, and his sandwiches could put anyone in a good mood. Also, he points out, the store's gross receipts last year totaled just over $800K. Why try to milk him for all he's worth? I'll tell you one thing: no one is naming a sandwich after these a-holes.
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