TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Landlord Packs Restaurant's Belongings

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICHAEL H. SAMUELS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 8, 2007

TAMPA - At least for the weekend, Sangria's Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant will remain open.

Hours after landlord Tommy Ortiz packed up the restaurant's belongings in a U-Haul truck Friday morning, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies demanded he return them to the property, 315 S. Howard Ave.

He did, and Sangria's was open for dinner Friday night, co-owner Victor Perez said.

Hillsborough Circuit Court Judge Ralph Stoddard ruled Wednesday that Sangria's verbal lease extension until January was invalid and the restaurant could be evicted.

Perez said the sheriff's office was supposed to issue an eviction notice giving Sangria's 24 hours to vacate. That didn't happen before Ortiz and a group of men starting packing up the restaurant at 9 a.m. Friday.

"They did the wrong thing this morning," Perez said while unpacking about 3 p.m. "By law, they are supposed to give us plenty of time to vacate the place."

Ortiz said he had an agreement with Sangria's owners to close the restaurant at midnight Thursday and vacate by 8 a.m. Friday. When that didn't happen, he started moving out items himself, he said.

"We are fighting for what we feel is legally right," said Ortiz, who owns and operates Hyde Park Cafe and Whiskey Park in South Tampa. "If we lose in court, we have no problem with that. If we win, we want to be entitled to do what the court deems is rightfully ours."

Ortiz said Stoddard ruled Friday afternoon that the eviction stands but told him to wait until deputies serve notice before taking possession of the property.

"It could be as early as Monday," Ortiz said. "It's in their hands."

Ortiz and Sangria's owners have been disputing rent and liquor license issues for more than a year. The restaurant's windows had been boarded up and parking spaces blocked, but its owners were granted injunctions to stay open.

Sangria's plans to reopen in Seminole Heights, replacing LeRoy's 4x4 Automotive Service Center at 512 E. Hillsborough Ave.

The plan is for half of the property to be a 2,500-square-foot restaurant with indoor seating for 100 and 20 outdoor seats.

The rest of the property would be for restaurants or offices.

The Tampa City Council is scheduled on Dec. 20 to consider a wet zoning for the Hillsborough Avenue property.

Ortiz has announced plans to redevelop the historical building that houses Sangria's.

He opened Cheap, a tapas restaurant, in the storefront vacated by Cappy's Pizzeria and said he plans to open another tapas restaurant to replace Sangria's.

Another tenant, SoHo Sushi, remains open.

Reporter Michael H. Samuels can be reached at (813) 835-2109 or msamuels@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT