Biggby Coffee, which has been a fixture of the Ohio Building downtown for 13 years, will move one block north after Jan. 1 to the former Bond building at Superior and Adams streets.
The move could result in another downtown coffeehouse.
David Ball, owner of the Ohio Building at 420 Madison Ave., said he and the Biggby franchise owner, Mohamed Shetiah, parted ways this year when Mr. Ball decided not to renew Biggby’s lease.
In 2010, Biggby’s was ready to move to another location but Mr. Shetiah decided to stay in the Ohio Building after comments by customers using social media persuaded him not to relocate.
This year Mr. Shetiah decided to pursue a different location and signed a lease in July with Dino Sarris, owner of the former Bond building at 502 Adams, to take space adjacent to a Subway sandwich shop across the street from the Valentine Theatre.
“My understanding is [Mr. Shetiah] felt the other location was just too big,” said Tony Arvanitis, a commercial real estate agent representing Mr. Sarris. The Ohio Building space is 2,700 square feet while the Bond building space is 1,500 square feet.
“The thing is, I’m not sure exactly when they are actually moving,” Mr. Arvanitis added. “It’s all up to them. It’s on their time frame.”
Mr. Arvanitis said that under the deal with Mr. Sarris, Biggby’s received six months free rent if Mr. Shetiah agreed to pay for renovations. But renovations did not start until October and are not far along, he said.
Mr. Shetiah could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ball said he is excited about the possibilities for the space, which has a prep kitchen, to be vacated by Biggby’s and expects to have a new tenant by Dec. 31.
He has shown the space to business owner and City Councilman Sandy Spang, who was interested in the spot as a second location for her Plate 21 coffee shop business in south Toledo.
“I’ve shown it to her and a couple of others. But I may decide to open a coffee house/entertainment restaurant on my own,” Mr. Ball said. “I have long had a desire to have an upscale operation there.”
The Ohio Building space was occupied as a Sufficient Grounds store until it was bought by Biggby’s in 2002.
Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.
First Published November 26, 2015, 5:00 a.m.
