Under the Surfas in Culver City

A news tidbit last week spotlighted the shocking revelation that Surfas, the globally revered restaurant and cook's supply mecca in Culver City, is being forced to closed down after over sixty years of operation. Foodies, fans, and even some foes of the longstanding retailer hashed out the known details peppered with speculation on the net, springboarded by a news piece on the Surfas website that has since been pulled. It seems that Culver City is claiming eminent domain on the building Surfas uses as a warehouse, which puts the operation of the retail store--recently renovated and now boasting a popular eatery--in jeopardy. So while the store itself isn't at risk, the Surfas family's decades-long relationship with Culver City is. A blog has been started to send out the rallying cry of support, and today Pat Saperstein's Eating L.A. blog offers Surfas' "we're hanging in there" response to the hot issue, with Curbed LA also offering the story up. A couple of days ago on her blog, Saperstein explained:

Owner Les Surfas, whose father started the company in 1937, has refused to accept Culver City's offer to buy the Surfas warehouse through eminent domain for a large redevelopment project. Surfas contends that even if his retail outlet remains, he can't afford to run the business without the warehouse right around the corner.

Can Surfas fight City Hall? The general sentiment seems to be: Not likely. A formal closing announcement has yet to be made, but Les Surfas is firm in his convictions that the business will not fold, but merely relocate to a zip code other than Culver City's, possibly in the next year or two. We'll keep our eye on this one, and meanwhile, head over to stock up on kitchen goodies.