Iconic Tosca Cafe in San Francisco's North Beach faces closure; rent dispute
San Francisco Chronicle / 8-22-12
Tosca Cafe, the North Beach hangout where Caruso croons on the jukebox, Francis Ford Coppola drinks in the back room and red vinyl booths haven't gone out of style, may be evicted.
Eight years short of its 100th anniversary, the iconic watering hole on Columbus is engaged in a rent dispute that could close the doors. Attorney John Keker, who is representing Tosca owner Jeannette Etheredge, says the landlord, strip club owner Roger Forbes, is playing hardball.
In June, Forbes raised Etheredge's rent from $7,500 a month, which was already more than the $6,500 she said she could afford to pay monthly, to $8,000.
"What they have said is either agree to that or they are going to evict," Keker said. "They raised the rent significantly and claim Jeannette is $100,000 in arrears."
Read more:http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/North-Beach-hangout-may-be-stripped-away-3805712.php
This would be a huge blow. Forbes, BTW, is a partner and major stockholder in Seattle-based Deja Vu Showgirls. Their website lists nine strip clubs in San Francisco.
