Sam’s Super Samwiches out of 18th Street location after more than 50 years
Following the loss of electricity and the passing of owner Sam Graphos, Sam’s Super Samwiches has surrendered its lease and vacated its longtime home on 18thStreet South.
Ted Graphos, Sam’s son, said landlord Ken Shaia “decided not to renew our lease,” which was set to expire in June 2022, leading the business to vacate the premises to seek a new location in Homewood.
“As many of you know, Sammy Graphos, who was the heart and soul of Sam’s Super Samwiches, passed away on Oct. 5, 2021,” Graphos said in a written statement. “While Sammy can never be replaced, we hope to continue serving the people of Birmingham for many years to come. However, unfortunately, after 51 years, our landlord decided not to renew our lease, so with heavy hearts, we have vacated the premises while we seek a new location in our beloved Homewood. We hope to announce soon the opening of our new store in a new location. Until then, thank you for the love and support that you have shown our family and our employees in this very difficult time.”
Shaia responded to what he called “rampant speculation” about why the longtime Homewood staple gave up its lease.
“We all loved Sammy. He had an incredible personality, made the best chili cheese dog and was a fixture of the Homewood community,” Shaia said.
“Notwithstanding rampant speculation about the lease, my family, as the landlord, has remained silent out of respect for Sammy’s family," Shaia said in a written statement. "However, everyone should know that the closing of the store really had nothing to do with Sammy’s passing. There had been safety issues at the shop for years. The electrical problems came to a head on Sept. 4, 2021, and set in motion a chain of events that led to a government required shut down – all of which was in motion before Sammy passed on Oct. 5, 2021. Over the last five years, the Shaia family made substantial financial investments and worked with the Graphos family to make safety improvements to the building. We understand that the Graphos family did not reach an agreement with local government."
Homewood Fire Marshal Brandon Broadhead told The Homewood Star the code violations were not resolved at the restaurant prior to the lease being surrendered, but the city had not shut the restaurant down because work was being done to address the issues. However, Broadhead said Alabama Power did pull the restaurant’s meter, leaving the business without power and unable to operate, and said it would not be turned back on until the restaurant was brought up to code.
Shaia sent emails showing multiple code violations found by the city at the restaurant. Broadhead said the Fire Department does not get involved in determining who is responsible for fixing the problems and bringing the building up to code, and that it “all comes down to the lease.”
The Homewood Star requested the lease from Shaia and Graphos, but as of Friday afternoon, had not received a copy of the lease.
Graphos said not all of the repairs were his family’s responsibility, but the cost of litigation to resolve those issues was not worth it for eight months of the lease. Vacating the premises was the “least costly and litigious” of the three options they were given when the power went out, he said. Graphos did not share what the other options were.