After Roller Coaster Eviction Day, Ike's Place Is Staying Put

Chris MacArthur/SF Weekly

At 1 p.m. today, conflicting information about whether Ike's Place was closing for good moved up and down the line.

​Although a Superior Court judge ruled this morning that Ike's Place would face eviction today, a technicality has left that null. In court this morning, Judge Peter J. Busch ruled that the eviction of Ike's would proceed by 5 p.m. today. But the attorney for Ike Shehadeh discovered an error in the lawsuit by landlord Denman Drobisch, meaning that the eviction is now off. "We were evicted this morning, but there was a technicality that the opposing party didn't catch," Shehadeh told SFoodie. "Ike's place is not evicted; the sheriff confirmed today that they cannot evict us."

The technicality had to do with the parties named. Instead of Ike's Place, the suit named co-owners Shehadeh and his mother, Huda, along with the owner of Daimaru Sushi, which leases space to the sandwich shop. Since Ike's Place is an LLC, the ruling has no practical effect on the business. To proceed, lawyers for the landlord will have to file a new suit against Ike's Place.

Earlier today, there was confusion in line at Ike's, as word of the eviction and stay percolated through the crowd. By 1 p.m., the line filled up the sidewalk, easily 60 people long, with another 25 waiting for a sandwich on the other side of the door. Shehadeh, clean-shaven and wearing dress pants with a suit vest, came out to ask the customers to make room on the sidewalk. "Let me just remind you, we were evicted today," he told them.

"We love you, Ike!" yelled one of the customers in response.

"I think he's got another day or two before he closes," one said. "Four hours," a second man interrupted. "He's closing in four hours." Sandwiches were not being discounted, but chips and soda were free.

After news of the eviction's reversal, Shehadeh ― who told SFoodie earlier this month that he'd looked at dozens of potential relocation sites ― acted like a man with no plans of going anywhere. "At this time, there really isn't any need to look for another location," he said.

Check out Chris MacArthur's photos of the day at Ike's Place.