All stories about "Java House"

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[Photo: Flickr/Cody Simms]

EMBARCADERO—Score one for the little guys. After formally filing a complaint with the city yesterday, waterfront mainstay Java House has won its appeal, which means that the Port of San Francisco must honor the original reconfigured lease agreement, not the outrageous 500% rent increase from late summer. The victory comes as quite the relief for the Java House folks, who had a difficult time paying the exorbitant rent. Furthermore, coming on the heels of the Richmond-Starbucks debate, this ruling is yet another hint that the City just might be serious about supporting small businesses. As for the Java House folks, now that the lease fiasco has been settled, they can now look ahead to making some (slight) renovations, like making the place handicap-accessible. [EaterWire]
· EaterWire: Java House's Day in Court [~ESF~]
· SF Fights the Man: Java House Update [~ESF~]
· S.F. waterfront institution Java House faces rent hike on steroids [Chron]

Java House: will it live to see another season?

EMBARCADERO— You'll recall the ongoing saga between Java House and the Port of San Francisco. To recap: the two parties renegotiated a lease agreement, then the lease "fell through," and finally, the Port forced an exorbitant monthly rent upon the small business, much to the chagrin of owner Phil Papadopoulus. Well, earlier today, Java House formally filed its appeal before a judge in an attempt to get the Port to honor its original agreement. The judge's ruling is expected to come forth within the next several days. In other words, the saga nears its climax. Will our hero live to see another baseball season on the bay? Stay tuned. [EaterWire]

THE SUNSET—The revitalization of the Sunset's nightlife scene (since when is it a scene?) continues: "Now, the new owners of what was once the dull, boring Eldo's Brewery, have transformed that venue into the new Wunder Brewing Company ...this is probably one of the best bargain happy hours I've found in a while. Not only do they sell their beers for a mere $2.25 (i.e. less than what one pays for crap beer at a corporate chain) from 4:30-6:30, they also have a special menu of discount-priced items as well." Well then, color us interested. [N Judah Chronicles]

Given our fair city's reputation for housing vehement protests and the like, it seems only natural that we should track the constant battle between big business and their benevolent, soul-filled counterparts.

About a month ago, the Chronicle's Matier & Ross broke the story that the Port of San Francisco decided to hit Pier 40's Java House—one of the most beloved mom-and-pop joints in town—with a staggering (indeed, almost comical rent) hike. Less than a week before rent was due, owner Phil Papadopoulos, who has worked the counter with his family for over two decades, instantly had his rent jump from $800 to $4,429 a month, plus an $8,800 security deposit.

A looming rent hike was no surprise to Papadopoulus (who acknowledges the existing cheap rent) but the fivefold increase came as a shock. The reason: months earlier, the port and Java House had negotiated a new, 15-year lease that saw the waterfront institution agreeing to pay $2,045 a month, plus 7.5 percent of its earnings. Somehow, the deal was lost in the paper shuffle and thus never reached fruition. Each side blames the other: the port says Papadopoulus was "dragging his feet" to keep the rent low. Common sense seems to suggest that sometime after the initial agreement was reached, the port realized it could double the agreed-upon rent.

The upshot: on October 10th, Java House is taking the port to court in an effort to honor the original lease agreement. If the recent Richmond-Starbucks debacle is any indication, the city is serious about supporting small businesses, and we can't really think of a smaller, more endearing business than Java House. Story developing.
· S.F. waterfront institution Java House faces rent hike on steroids [Chron]
· SF Fights the Man: Java House Pays Up, Starbucks Looks Down [~ESF~]

Given our fair city's reputation for housing vehement protests and the like, it seems only natural that we should track the constant battle between big business and their benevolent, soul-filled counterparts. The last week of summer brings a pair of looming battle royales: one involving a mom-and-pop shop sittin' on the dock of the Bay and the other featuring the ever-enjoyable hippie-Starbucks clash.

Come Saturday, things might be changing, as the Port of San Francisco is raising the rent fivefold, from $800 to $4,429. The two sides had previously agreed upon a $2600 lease, but to Papadopoulus' dismay, the Port never filed the paperwork. The sudden hike is the result of prior negotiations falling through the Port realizing it could charge any price. Negotations will begin anew after the (comparatively) astronomical rent is paid. Looking around the area at the likes of Chaya, Palomino and Gordon Biersch, it's hard to see just how the city can justify its claim to support small businesses. Edge: the Man.