Lease lapses for NBA star’s eatery

Dennis Rodman has returned to Newport Beach; his restaurant on Mariner’s Mile will remain closed.Former NBA player Dennis Rodman has moved back to Newport Beach but will not reopen his Mariner’s Mile restaurant, according to his manager.

Thaer Mustafa, Rodman’s manager and friend, said Tuesday that Rodman was not able to secure a renewal to his lease for the Rodman’s restaurant on West Coast Highway. About a month ago, Rodman returned to Newport Beach and is living in what Mustafa said is either a condo or a townhouse.

When Rodman’s closed its doors in September, Mustafa said Rodman’s intentions were to remodel the restaurant, which until December was known as Josh Slocum’s Dinner and Supper Club.

“If they would have renewed the lease, Dennis would have stayed open,” Mustafa said.

Keeping the restaurant open was costing Rodman about $20,000 per month, Mustafa said. Mustafa added that Rodman is planning to open a restaurant in Hawaii and is considering opportunities in Europe and Asia.

Mustafa identified Rodman’s landlord as Gary Primm. Contact information for Primm could not be obtained Monday.

Newport Beach planning director Patricia Temple said city staffers have not received any proposals for changes to Rodman’s that would require a new permit.

Any new tenant would need a new permit to officially convert Rodman’s from a restaurant into a nightclub, Temple said. Obtaining such a permit would likely be a tough proposition since the club is close to Lido Island.

“I can’t speak for the planning commission, but it would be challenging,” Temple said.

Rodman sold his Seashore Drive home in May 2004 and moved to Huntington Beach. During his time in Newport, Rodman’s home and restaurant were notorious as rowdy scenes that attracted both partyers and the Newport Beach Police Department.

Mustafa said that though Rodman has moved back to Newport, he is not likely to spend much time there.

“He’s not really in Newport because he’s out of the state and out of the country so much,” Mustafa said.

* ANDREW EDWARDS covers business and the environment. He can be reached at (714) 966-4624 or by e-mail at [email protected].