Store in the process of trying to find a new location in the Pacific Palisades
By Dolores Quintana
Puzzle Zoo, a toy store that is an institution in the Pacific Palisades after 21 years of being in business, has been served with a 30 day eviction notice as reported by the Palisadian Post.
The Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades served the notice as the owners of the property. Puzzle Zoo owner Jay Demircift was shocked by the move and doesn’t know what the future will bring for his store.
The original location of Puzzle Zoo was founded in Santa Monica by a 20 year old Demircift, an immigrant from Istanbul, Turkey, who came to the United States at the age of 15. Demircift opened the first Palisades location of the store on Swarthmore Avenue in 2000 and the store moved sixteen years later to its current location.
The Palisadian Post quotes Demircift about the eviction and he says, “I thought they were trying to get my attention since I owed them back rent from the pandemic. I thought if I catch up with the rent they would let me stay,” he said. “I don’t know what to think. I have never in almost 30 years in business had a landlord give me a 30-[day] notice to leave because if you own a retail building and you manage it you know what is involved in building it.”
Demircift responded to the eviction notice by placing signs in the store’s windows that said, as quoted by the Palisadian Post, “Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades has decided to kick us out … We don’t know how to convey our disappointment and sadness. Building a business and community takes a long time and the United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades is destroying 21 years of hard work with a 30-day notice.” He also made an emotional plea to the Board of Trustees to the Pacific Palisades Community United Methodist Church asking what he could do to remain on the property, but a final decision has been made by the Board.
As quoted by the Palisadian Post, Demircift added, “When I put up the signs, I was hoping that they could see how distressed I was about the situation and thinking, maybe they will change their mind and discuss. I told them this will also affect me personally and financially, I have a family, two kids. I felt like I was talking to a wall, they had made the decision and it was done.
According to Demircift, he first signed a five year lease agreement with the church and after the lease expired last year, Puzzle Zoo went to a month-to-month lease agreement. Demircift had hoped to sign another long-term lease in the future. “The church has been very nice and accommodating in the past, that is why I am not understanding this,” he said. “It is just a shame that we have to move,” he said, as quoted by the Palisadian Post.
The Community United Methodist Church responded to the Palisadian Post with this statement, “Like any property owner, the Church has the right (and the fiduciary duty as stewards of the parishioners’ resources) to do what it believes is the proper course of action with the property where Puzzle Zoo is located. Two proposed lease extensions were sent to the tenant, but no action was taken by the tenant. After further and careful consideration, the Church’s Board of Trustees have decided not to renew the lease for the Puzzle Zoo location.”
“We are sorry that our decision has caused the Puzzle Zoo ownership to be upset, but we are legally required to do what we believe is in the best interests of the Church, as the property owner. We trust the community, of which we have been a member for nearly 100 years, will respect our decision and not engage or indulge in any unfounded rumors.”
Puzzle Zoo is in the process of trying to find a new location in the Pacific Palisades but has faced difficulty locating a new potential location due to “high-priced property” as quoted by the Palisadian Post.
The store has received visits from Palisades families who wanted to say their goodbyes. General Manager of 11 years Gerardo Perez said, as quoted by the Palisadian Post, “I’ve come to understand how much I alone meant to many of the kids that live here, to even go as far as to ask me to autograph their purchase to keep as a memory. To our customers, I’d like to say thank you for all the support. We love you guys and I’m sorry that it’s come to this.”
