As prolific chef and restaurateur George Chen moves to expand his empire to Silicon Valley, his most well-known restaurant, China Live, is once again at risk of closure.
The multilevel restaurant on the edge of Chinatown is being sued for $1.1 million in unpaid rent and is being evicted, court documents filed in late January reveal. The motion alleges Chen has not paid rent since September.
Chen disputes that he owed rent payments during that period because a jury trial to settle the lawsuit, which was originally set to start in August, is yet to begin. “We are not paying rent because we’re legally not liable while in litigation,” Chen said via text. Chen said he is close to reaching a settlement, which would also resolve the possible eviction.
The move to evict comes just weeks after Chen and his wife, Cindy Wong-Chen, announced plans to open a second food hall, Asia Live, at Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara.
The new spot, expected to open this fall, will expand on the China Live concept by offering food from not only China but Southeast Asia, India, Korea, and Japan. At 13,000 square feet, the bi-level project will include a restaurant, bar, and retail section, along with seating for 350.
Representatives for Westfield Valley Fair did not respond to a request for comment.
Chen has said he plans to open Asia Live locations in New York and Paris. He announced the Paris restaurant in 2023; it is expected to open into a 35,000-square-foot space by the Louvre that was formerly occupied by a Printemps department store.
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Despite these ambitious plans, Chen faces trouble in San Francisco. He has been locked in a convoluted legal battle involving landlord Cypress Properties, which has attempted to evict China Live, at 644 Broadway, multiple times. Meanwhile, Cypress Properties is being sued by its lender after defaulting on a $21.2 million loan, leading the court to place control of the China Live property with receiver Gregg Williams of Trident Pacific. Prior to that move last March, Chen and Cypress reached an agreement in which he would pay $125,000 in monthly rent. In the motion filed last month, Williams says Chen has failed to do so.
Attorneys for Williams did not respond to a request for comment.
With the future of China Live unclear, Chen has reportedly been exploring a move to the Crocker Galleria, a shopping center in the Financial District. Eight Tables, the fine-dining restaurant located on the second floor of China Live, closed in September, and Chen plans to reopen it as a new concept, a spokesperson says. China Live, located on the ground floor, and Cold Drinks Bar, on the second floor, remain open.