Ike's is back: well-loved sandwich shop gets unanimous OK from Planning Commission

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Bring on the meat, cheese and the [Name of Girl I'm Dating], Ike's Place -- the Castro District sandwich shop whose popularity ultimately caused its downfall -- will re-open early next year.

The line at the old location of Ike's Place would often stretch down the block.

Brant Ward/The Chronicle

The line at the old location of Ike's Place would often stretch down the block.

A Backstabber sandwich, Chicken Breast with marinated artichoke hearts, melted provolone and caeser dressing on a toasted garlic sourdough roll.

Lance Iverson/The Chronicle

A Backstabber sandwich, Chicken Breast with marinated artichoke hearts, melted provolone and caeser dressing on a toasted garlic sourdough roll.

San Francisco's Planning Commission gave owner Ike Shehadeh unanimous approval Thursday to open a larger shop near Church and 16th Streets -- just a block from the old one that closed in September.

The new shop will be 10 times larger and better equipped to handle the massive crowds that undermined the original Ike's. As its popularity grew, neighbors grew more and more frustrated with the block-long lines, noisy customers and persistent smell of fried bacon.

Shehadeh was eventually evicted and fined $12,000 by the city.

Many nearby residents expressed concern that allowing Shehadeh to restart his operation would allow the problems to resurface.

"I've lived there for 15 years and for 15 years we had no problems on the street until Ike's took off," said Charles Norman.

"What he does is terrorize the neighborhood," he said later, referring to Shehadeh.

Those problems should be history Shehadeh told the commission, pointing to new ovens, increased seating and an iPhone app that will notify people when their order is ready to be picked up.

"This is the classic example of a business being a victim of its own success," said Planning Commissioner Gwyneth Borden.

Shehadeh said he expects his $12,000 fine will be reduced or eliminated by the city's Board of Appeals and the shop will likely open in early February.

Posted By: Will Kane (Email) | December 16 2010 at 05:20 PM

Listed Under: City icons, Development, If you build it, they will come, Living here