The Tomato, the pizza restaurant long considered an iconic part of the eclectic Fry Street area, will be closing its doors soon.

Last week, owner Mike “Ski” Slusarski received word that he would need to be out of the building at the corner of Hickory and Fry streets by March 15.

DRC/Gary Payne

Mike Slusarski, owner of The Tomato, and his wife, Becky, have been given notice that they must vacate the corner building on Hickory and Fry streets by March 15.

The deadline followed the end of ongoing discussions between Slusarski and United Equities Inc. about the restaurant’s move into the proposed Fry Street Village.

The Tomato was one of a number of businesses on the property to receive official eviction notices from the Houston-area developer in early January. The notices cited Jan. 31 as the final day, but an official with the development company indicated the firm would work with the businesses individually.

Tim Sandifer, project manager with United Equities, confirmed the March 15 deadline and added that he was talking to several other businesses about earlier move-out deadlines.

“I have some people that are leaving earlier than that,” he said. “I’m ready to just go ahead and get started and get things going.”

Sandifer indicated that he was still in talks with a couple of businesses about relocating into the proposed retail development, including Texas Jive and the Treasure Aisles comic store.

When asked which businesses were leaving earlier than March 15, Sandifer declined to mention them specifically.

“I feel like I don’t have an obligation to share my business with the world,” he said.

Slusarski said initial conversations with the developer about relocating to the new development did not include downtime — time that his business would be closed. However, recent talks included the possibility of seven months between the time his current location would not be available and the proposed location at the proposed Fry Street Village would be ready.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he said. “I can’t be out of business for seven months.”

Slusarski said he hoped that he wasn’t the only business along the Hickory and Fry street strip of building to be asked to leave early.

“I have a problem with it if I’m the only one who has to move out,” he said.

“It is typical of UE’s [United Equities] strong-arm business tactics and not the first time they’ve used them in Denton,” wrote in e-mail Mike Cochran, former City Council member and Denton historian who has been working with Save Fry Street, an organization formed after the property sale to save historic portions of the retail area.

“They offer small business rent at exorbitant prices and when they balk, throw them out on the street with almost no notice. This is just pure punitive action to force a small businessman out of business because he wouldn’t ‘play ball’ with them,” Cochran wrote.

Sandifer said the company tried to work out a deal with The Tomato but was not successful.

“We bent over backwards to offer him an opportunity to relocate within our property and he was unable to do it,” Sandifer said. “We tried to do what we felt the public wanted and it’s just a shame.”

Slusarski, meanwhile, is trying to set up appointments to tour local properties for potential relocation. One possibility is a former fast-food restaurant near Best Buy off Loop 288.

“I want to stay in the area,” he said, adding that nothing in the immediate vicinity surrounding the campus was available.

Slusarski has not planned an official last night of operations, though people are beginning to talk to him about setting up one.

His main concern, however, in addition to figuring out where to go and how to get there with less than 24 days left, is how to make sure he supports his family.

“I haven’t done anything else since 1980,” he said.

DAWN COBB can be reached at 940-566-6879. Her e-mail address is dcobb@dentonrc.com .