A Waterfront building formerly occupied by a popular bar has been made available for rent - despite an ongoing legal dispute between the landlord and business owner.
Oasis Bar and Lounge closed in January "following forfeiture of the lease by peaceable entry".
However, business owner Amr Eissa claims the repossession was illegal and has now vowed to fight in an effort to save his Mediterranean restaurant - despite the landlord claiming Mr Eissa had breached his contract.
The building, near the Wine Rack on Ipswich's Waterfront, has been made available for rent by Reader Commercial - with all signage for Oasis removed.
The restaurant opened in August 2022 following an extensive licensing battle with nearby residents.
Permission for the business to sell alchol was refused three times by Ipswich Borough Council’s licencing and regulatory sub-committee.
Mr Eissa claims this forced the landlord's hand, telling this newspaper: "He didn't believe that I could afford to pay rent just selling food or coffee."
The landlord disputed this claim, instead pointing to "substantial rent arrears" as his primary concern.
"From my perspective, this is nothing to do with the license. It's about rent arrears and a breach of the rental contract," he said.
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