Narsi's Hof Brau owner loses appeal in Coddingtown lawsuit

Narsi Samii, owner of the former Narsi's Hof Brau restaurant at Santa Rosa's Coddingtown Mall, has lost another round in court, but he says it isn't the end of the story.

A state appellate court in San Francisco last week ruled against Samii, who contended that Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group violated his lease when it forced him to leave the mall last year. The eviction followed more than two years of legal battles.

"This is going to go all the way to the Supreme Court," Samii said. "If it has to go to federal court, it will."

Narsi's Hof Brau opened in the mall in 1983. Court records said Simon estimated that a chain restaurant in the contested space could produce $3 million to $5 million in annual sales, compared to Narsi's revenues of about $1.1 million.

Simon's area marketing director Kim Hall declined comment on the litigation.

The space that formerly housed Narsi's remains vacant, she said, but the shopping center is in discussion with companies interested in the space.