Caplansky’s Deli on College shuttered by landlord

By News Staff

If you’re looking to quench that smoked meat craving today, you won’t be able to satisfy it at Caplansky’s on College Street, because the deli has been shuttered by the building’s landlord.

According to Caplansky’s owner Zane Caplansky, the landlord changed the locks just after midnight Monday.

“I went over and found there was a locksmith and a bailiff and they wouldn’t speak to me, they would only point to the notice on the glass,” Caplansky said Tuesday.

The notice reads that the premises had been repossessed by the landlord, “and the lease has been terminated, effective immediately.”

According to the notice, the business was closed down because of a breach of the lease, specifically “failing to effect repairs not authorized by the landlord.”

But Caplansky said he has gone over-and-above to ensure the business is up and running.

 

“There’s no outstanding debt to anybody,” Caplansky said. “I’m a landlord’s dream.”

He said there was an issue a couple years ago when the landlord replaced hot water tanks to service tenants on the top floors of the building, which set off the deli’s sprinklers, causing a flood. Caplansky said he paid that bill, and said he also paid to replace a fire panel, which was also the landlord’s responsibility.

“It was a nightmare of expenses, and I had no choice but to pay it.”

Caplansky said he moved into the College location in 2009 and renewed the lease in 2014. There are two years left on the lease.

“He terminated the lease,” Caplansky said. “No notice, no offer to rectify … which in the lease it says you have to do this.”

Caplansky said he plans to get an injunction to get back into the shop.

“I’m going to fight this tooth and nail,” he said.

Caplansky recently opened a restaurant in Yorkville and is planning to open another at the Shops of Don Mills. His restaurants serve up five to six tons of smoked meat each week.

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