After clashing with city staff for years over its controversial Ashbridges Bay lease, Tuggs Inc. is now fighting restaurant giant Cara Operations Ltd., the Star has learned.Amid claims and counter-claims in court documents is a demand from Tuggs that Cara immediately close Carters Landing, the popular restaurant Cara first opened in July 2016 — with Tuggs’s blessing — on a prime boardwalk spot owned by the city at 1681 Lake Shore Blvd. E. But Tuggs cannot take action to evict Carters Landing pending a trial, set for next February, to settle the messy contract dispute, a judge ruled in June.It’s the latest twist in a sole-sourced contract that has made headlines for more than a decade and helped trigger a city rule change to prevent a repeat.The dispute has also frozen city attempts to negotiate with Tuggs to buy back lease rights to concession and novelty sales in four city parks, something demanded by Beach residents frustrated at having to get Tuggs’s permission, and in some cases pay the company, to hold community and charity events on public land. For local city councillor, Mary-Margaret McMahon, the new legal fight is “disappointing.”“At this point Beach residents are just keen to get back control of their parkland,” said the Ward 32 Beaches-East York representative.George Foulidis and his company Tuggs won a contract in 1986 to build and operate the Boardwalk Cafe at Woodbine Beach Park and summer food concessions at a nearby pool and park.In 2007, then-councillor Sandra Bussin convinced her council colleagues to approve a 20-year, sole-sourced extension. City staff advised against the Tuggs-initiated deal but some councillors argued it was necessary to keep a “mom and pop” operation on the site rather than a big fast-food chain.City staff, unable to come to terms with Foulidis, brought the lease back to council which, in 2010, voted 15-12 to proceed with it. Tuggs got the main restaurant sp ...
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