Ooh La La Korean BBQ at Park North Shopping Center has closed after a landlord lockout over more than $72,000 in unpaid rent. The restaurant shut its doors late last month, and staff are not responding. It’s the second apparent lockout at the North Side center in as many weeks, leaving neighbors and employees wondering what’s happening.
According to MySA, a lockout notice dated Jan. 22 lists property manager DPEG North Park, LP and puts the total owed at $72,417.33. The outlet reports that Ooh La La’s last social media activity was on Jan. 21 and that Google now lists the restaurant as permanently closed. MySA also noted that staff did not respond to phone or Facebook messages and that a voicemail was left for the phone number tied to the property.
Second Tenant Locked Out In Two Weeks
Ooh La La is not alone. A separate lockout dated Jan. 14 hit Miguelito's Mexican Grill & Cantina, which local outlets say owed roughly $53,736 and found its space literally taped shut by the landlord earlier in the month. As CultureMap reported, the notice warned that “The Landlord will pursue all legal remedies available, including criminal prosecution, against any individual who enters or attempts to enter the space without authorization.” That hard-line language sparked chatter in neighborhood groups and drew fresh attention to Park North’s recent run of tenant troubles.
New Ownership And The DPEG Name
The lockouts landed just weeks after a major change at the top. Park North was purchased in December by Houston-based Dhanani Private Equity Group in a roughly $115 million deal, a transaction first reported by the Houston Chronicle. The notices on the doors carry the name DPEG North Park, LP, while Dhanani’s own website uses the DPEG initials and lists its property-management arm under that brand. The timing has fueled questions about whether the new owner is taking a tougher stance on collecting overdue rent.
Park North’s Size And Stakes
Park North is one of San Antonio’s larger open-air shopping centers, anchored by a Super Target and a cluster of entertainment tenants that keep the parking lots busy most nights. In a sale announcement, JLL highlighted what it called high occupancy and millions of annual visits, a reminder of why landlords typically move quickly to collect back rent at heavily trafficked properties. Smaller restaurant operators say such fast moves can leave them with almost no runway to renegotiate, pay staff, or square up with suppliers once trouble starts.
What The Notices Mean And What’s Next
The lockout notices explicitly threaten legal remedies and eviction steps, wording that CultureMap noted can precede formal lease termination or court action. Landlords sometimes use lockouts to secure a space while they chase unpaid rent through the legal system, though outcomes vary and some tenants attempt to negotiate repayment plans and reopen. For now, both Ooh La La and Miguelito’s are marked as closed on local listings, and the property manager has not publicly said whether it plans to push ahead with eviction or work out any kind of deal.
Neighbors and former regulars say they hope the dark storefronts will not stay that way for long. At the moment, though, two locked doors at a high-profile center are a very visible reminder of how quickly smaller operators can be squeezed when rent piles up and ownership changes hands. This story will be updated if the restaurants or the property manager respond to requests for comment.
