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Regulars at Perfect Rack Billiards in Murray Hill hope kitchen closure is only a temporary scratch

Perfect Rack in Murray Hill is closing its kitchen and laying off staff due to a fence causing issues for the business.

It’s not quite Cheers, where everybody knows your name, but a popular spot in Murray Hill is set to close their kitchen Sunday.

For most of us, there is that one favorite hangout and a place full of memories.

For Khalid Smith that place is Perfect Rack Billiards.

“It’s been a huge staple of my childhood and my teen years," Smith said.

For the past decade, Smith has entered Perfect Rack Billiards with his dad and little brother.

“We’d go and just play pool in there," he said. "It’s always been a very friendly spot to go to.” 

“It’s a great place, great people," Ron Rozier said. "Kitchen is awesome, the food is good."

Ron Rozier and Kendra Dix are also regulars of the business that has called Murray Hill home since 2008.

“The Goff family has been pouring their heart and soul into everything," Dix said. "You can feel it in their food to their hospitality."

From the billiards to the food and people, there are a lot of reasons why locals stop by.

Nothing on the inside is blocking business, but it’s a fence on the back of their property that is the issue.

Sleiman Enterprises released the following statement:

Sleiman Enterprises as adjacent property owner has exercised its rights to quiet enjoyment for our tenants located here.

The circumstance of an adjacent property relying on or passing through a neighbors parcel for access is not authorized and had created issues with respect to parking, use and control for activities off our site (legal or otherwise). There is no legal requirement or reliance for our parcel to serve as entryway to neighboring parcels. Our intention is to simply preserve access to our property, support our tenants’ needs and ensure our property is clean, safe and secure for tenants and their guests.

Perfect Rack tells First Coast News the fence does not allow them access to its dumpster and the kitchen makes up over 50 percent of their business.

As a result, the four-person staff will be laid off and kitchen will be closed after Sunday.

Perfect Rack said up until last week, a temporary fence was put up that had a gate, allowing Perfect Rack access to the dumpster. An option they no longer have and it could mean a permanent closure if a change isn’t made.

“I hope that there’s something that can be done to rectify so both parties are happy," Smith said.

The family and regulars hope something can be done so this kitchen closure will only be a temporary scratch.

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