Wow, that was fast. After opening just over a month ago, Margarita Mama's and Banana Joe's were served with an eviction notice ordering the business to vacate its Central Avenue and Fifth Street location on Monday morning.
The building owner Samuel Boutros is being evicted because his tenant failed to uphold his contract by failing to pay the utilities, address code violations, and pay a number of subcontractors, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The Times couldn't get in touch with the restaurant/nightclub owner Michael Dennis who also owns another Banana Joe's franchise in Ohio, but general manager Courtney Penick confirmed the establishment's eminent closure.
Both Boutros and Penick cite slow sales for the restaurant and bar's failure to uphold the contract.
Margarita Mama's and Banana Joe's both used to call Channelside home before closing and now resurrecting in St. Petersburg. The 8,000-square-foot first floor of the historic Kress Building where the bar and restaurant is housed was gutted to make room for the new tenants.
Souklos is confident, though, that new tenants won't be hard to find in this prime area of Downtown St. Petersburg according to the Times. We'll keep you updated as more news arises.
