At Ben’s BBQ & Brew in San Jose, the karaoke fans have already belted out their swan songs. The final briskets and racks of ribs will come out of the smoker Friday — enough for customers right up until midnight New Year’s Eve. Then, in the coming weeks, the sports memorabilia will be removed from the walls.
Faced with a doubling of his rent, owner Ali Moein says he has no choice but to close the doors at week’s end after just three years in business.
Donahue Schriber, the real estate investment trust that owns the Westgate West center, is raising his rent from $6,000 to about $13,000 a month — with no opportunity to negotiate, said Moein, who added that he is the last independent, solo restaurant owner in the center.
“I don’t see anybody else being pushed out in the same fashion,” he said. “They don’t do it to the chains. I guess I don’t have the clout or muscle to argue.”
A representative from Donahue Schriber, which owns and operates more than 50 shopping centers on the West Coast, responded Friday afternoon, saying: “While it is company policy not to speak to lease terms or tenant negotiations, we are appreciative of Ben’s BBQ & Brew’s tenancy since 2018 and its predecessor for nearly a decade.”
For Moein, the restaurant has been a labor of love. He named it after his brother Ben, who died in 2017 and had always wanted to open his own business.
“His passing affected me greatly, and I thought life is too short not to do what’s you’re passionate about,” Moein said. “After leaving my corporate work I decided to open a restaurant and provide a place with a comfortable atmosphere for the local folks to come enjoy barbecue and good beer.”
Customers were distressed to hear about the impending shutdown.
“After a long lockdown, businesses are struggling,” said Judy Cerda of Campbell, a local singer-actor who attended the final karaoke session Sunday. “We’ve been customers since 2018 when he opened. It’s a shame to see it being pushed out like this. We appreciate the unique small businesses rather than the chains.”
Her husband, Jesse Cerda, interjected: “The food is excellent too.”
Moein got into the restaurant business after a 30-year career as a software engineer.
“I learned how to barbecue in my backyard. After years of burning and ruining good meats I was finally able to make the people who had my cooking go wow!”
He saw the opportunity to buy the Dickey’s barbecue restaurant on Prospect Road — a turn-key operation, fully equipped with a smoker — and paid more than $100,000 for the business. “Now that’s all down the drain.”
In early 2019, another independent business at the center, Dolce Bella Chocolate Cafe, faced a doubling of the rent and lost the lease. Owner Audrey Vaggione said she was told that the real estate trust was “revitalizing” the center and thus rents needed to go up. Then, as now, Donahue Schriber would not comment.
One of the long-vacant buildings at the center is currently being eyed by Costco for a new big-box store. That space was formerly home to one of the valley’s Orchard Supply Hardware stores.
Details: Ben’s BBQ & Brew will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and until midnight Friday at 5391 Prospect Road, San Jose.
