BRENTWOOD—Brentwood newsstand owner, Marck Sarfati, is fighting against a Whole Foods store to save his business from eviction, after 28 years in business.
The newsstand has been operating in the Whole Foods parking lot on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood since 1989. Whole Foods denied Sarfati’s request for a lease renewal. His lease will expire on September 30.
“Their email states that they’re looking for a better parking situation,” Sarfati told ABC7 news.
A petition has gathered more than 2,000 signatures to keep his business in operation. The newsstand is believed to be of “historic significance” and the “last of its kind on the Westside of Los Angeles,” as described on the petition. Sarfati was also planning a protest on Saturday, June 24.
According to ABC7, Whole Foods released a statement saying it appreciated the longstanding relationship between its Brentwood store and Sarfati’s business. The statement noted that the decision for the eviction was not made lightly.
Sarfati, 66, takes care of his 96-year-old father, a Holocaust survivor who escaped and joined the partisans and fought against the Nazi. The newsstand, which Sarfati states offers one of the largest selections of news in Los Angeles, is their only source of income.
“I’ve got to fight, I’ve got no other reason to be here on this planet if I don’t fight for this,” Marck said to ABC7.
He believes the Amazon takeover would have been more propitious for him.
