He couldn't immediately recall the attorney's name. "He still chooses to communicate through his attorney," said Frazier.
He said the bar could turn around, "but a business can only turn around if you have control over your expenditures." He said that with Nikitopoulos "jumping up the rent to the point where it's not feasible, that hinders your bottom line."Įven trying to communicate with the landlord was hard, according to Frazier. Frazier said the Eagle's lost money in the last couple years. "There's only so much that a business can do to break even," he said. There had been some hope, including on a Facebook page devoted to the bar, that Frazier entering the picture would help.īut Frazier said this week that Nikitopoulos had been "uncompromising."
Gardiner recently said that the bar's lease expired more than a year ago, so "I guess it goes month to month."Ĭommunity members have been working to keep the bar LGBT-oriented throughout the month, after it looked like it might be sold to the owner of a different bar, raising fears the business could go straight. The home to well-loved Sunday beer busts, which raise money for numerous LGBT groups, Gardiner and co-owner Joe Banks have been trying to sell the bar, at 398 12th Street, for more than a year. Richard Romano, the attorney representing Gardiner, also wouldn't provide a copy. The eviction complaint hasn't yet been publicly available, and Gardiner has declined to provide the Bay Area Reporter with a copy. Out Supervisor Scott Wiener, who's been supportive of efforts to keep the bar LGBT-oriented, said last week that his understanding was what had been filed was an unlawful detainer suit. When this is over, I'll let you know."Īsked how much longer the bar could stay open, Gardiner said, "What did I just say?" "I'm in the middle of this," said Gardiner. Current owner John Gardiner said Wednesday that he couldn't talk about what's happening. It wasn't clear Wednesday morning, April 27, what Frazier's decision would mean for the bar's future. That effort had been on hold while negotiations involving Frazier were under way, according to one of the owners. On top of that, Nikitopoulos apparently filed a lawsuit last week to evict the current owners. He also said Nikitopoulos hasn't returned his calls. He expressed frustration in trying to deal with the bar's landlord, John Nikitopoulos, who he said wants to raise the rent, among other issues. But Frazier announced this week that he's dropping out. Mark Frazier, who owns the Dallas Eagle, had been working with Eagle manager Ron Hennis for days to try to buy the bar. After weeks of others trying to buy San Francisco's iconic Eagle Tavern, the bar's future remains uncertain.