By this semester, many students thought they’d be able to get their “dirty sauce”-smeared sandwiches from the SF State location of Ike’s Place.
The sandwich shop, named after founder Ike Shehadeh, that found so much success in its Castro location that its long lines eventually forced them to expand to a larger location, was scheduled to arrive on campus months ago.
So why hasn’t the SF State location opened up yet? The answer varies depending on who you ask.
Shehadeh had ideally planned to open in the Cesar Chavez Student Center around March 2011. Now, nearly eight months later, a banner still hangs on the empty space of Ike’s future storefront announcing an opening date of fall 2011.
During a Vendor Services Committee meeting Monday, retail services director Leonard Corpus gave an update to the committee on Ike’s Place’s current progress.
“We have received the revised plans from the Ike’s Place team,” said Corpus, referring to architectural plans for the kitchen and retail space on the lower level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. “However we are still lacking two components: electrical and plumbing.”
According to Corpus, the plans that Ike’s Place management provided to the space were incomplete. This means that final approval for Ike’s to move in cannot be given.
However, when asked what was causing the delay in his shop’s opening, Shehadeh maintained that it was not due to anything on his side.
“If it was up to me it would have been open,” Shehadeh said. He added that he “did not have anything positive to say” about his experience opening up in the student center, calling the opening process a headache.
Shehadeh said that he wasn’t sure if Corpus’ statements about the inadequate plumbing and electrical plans causing the delay of the shop’s opening were accurate.
Ultimately it is the students that are being affected by the delay.
“I am disappointed,” said sophomore Denise Mayo. “I was really stoked.”
Despite the ongoing delay and lack of a set opening date, Shehadeh still plans to open on campus, and says that he is excited to get there to serve students. Although he still doesn’t have a set time frame, he wants to open “for the kids.”
Still, Corpus said that the ball was in Shehadeh’s court.
“According to them, once they get approval they can be open in two weeks,” said Corpus at the committee meeting.
