Basilico's Owner Sues After Landlord Refuses To Extend Lease In OC

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA — Property investor George SooHoo bought a Huntington Beach strip mall that currently hosts Basilico's Pasta E Vino just one month before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.

Not long after the pandemic began, Basilico's restaurant owner Tony Roman repeatedly made national headlines for defying California health regulations put in place as a response to the pandemic.

Now, he said that SooHoo is trying to kick him off of the property due to political differences, the Orange County Register reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Roman signed a five-year lease with his original landlord in 2017. The lease ended last week, July 31, and included an option to renew for another five years.

The lawsuit said that notices sent by Roman to continue the lease "went unanswered." The lawsuit alleged that instead, SooHoo sent letters to Roman starting in January "erroneously alleging numerous purported lease violations," according to the report.

Attorneys for Roman and SooHoo declined the OC Register's request for comment.

To read more about the falling out and subsequent lawsuit one Huntington Beach business owner is waging against his landlord, view the full article on the OC Register.