The notice was posted at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the day before the Veterans Day holiday.

“REMOVAL NOTICE,” the letter said, in all capital red letters. By Sunday, Nov. 12.

Dominic Shiach and his wife, Carmen “Daisy” DeForest, were ordered by the City of Santa Barbara to remove the parklet in front of their restaurant, The Daisy, at 1221 State St. downtown.

They were stunned.

“It’s just simply, clearly, on the face of it, not fair,” Shiach told Noozhawk on Saturday afternoon. “It is an unreasonable request.”

The city posted the removal notice because it wants to restripe the street beginning Monday.

“Last week we learned that our striping contractor would be available to begin work on the 1200 block and new bike lanes this coming week, which will allow us to open The Granada drop-off zone in advance of the busy holiday season,” Sarah Clark, downtown parking and plaza manager, told Noozhawk.

“Once the contractor was confirmed, we gave notice to The Daisy.”

Clark said The Daisy’s outdoor seating area is located at a narrower part of the block.

“When the traffic engineer began drafting plans, it became apparent that The Daisy’s facility would need to be removed to accommodate the new one-way vehicle lane and two-way bike lane,” Clark explained.

Earlier this fall, the City Council voted to allow bike lanes on State Street and one-way traffic going north to allow for drop-offs in front of The Granada Theatre, at 1214 State St.

“Council has expressed a desire to move forward expeditiously with pilot projects during the interim operations period,” Clark said.

She added that the city previously notified the restaurants on the east side of the street that the new one-way vehicle lane would require the discontinuation of their outdoor business facilities.

“We will provide notice to all businesses on the 1200 block prior to opening the block to vehicle traffic,” Clark said.

Shiach said it is unfair that his business is being singled out with an abrupt notice to remove the parklet just because he is across an area of State Street that curves out by three feet.

He’s not even directly across from The Granada, he noted.

Clark said The Daisy may be able to move its seating to the sidewalk.

“Fortunately, there is some extra room on the sidewalk in front of their business, so there may be an opportunity for The Daisy to add some sidewalk seating through the city’s Outdoor Dining License Agreement program, if they choose,” Clark said.

Shiach said he can’t believe that the city issued the notice before the three-day weekend and that they ordered it removed by Sunday. That simply is not enough time, he said.

He has seating for about 30 people. To move the tables, benches, chairs and plants, he would have to reserve a truck, and find the labor and a place to house everything.

“There’s not even an opportunity to speak to anyone about this,” Shiach said. “It probably isn’t nefarious, but it felt like it might be.”

Shiach, a native of Scotland and raised in England, moved to the United States 10 years ago, and he and his wife, who is from Los Angeles, started the restaurant in 2019.

The couple survived the Montecito flash flooding and debris flows and the COVID-19 pandemic. If they have to remove their outdoor seating to accommodate occasional Granada drop-offs, it could force The Daisy to close, Shiach said.

“Why are their patrons more important than us, or our customers or our staff,” he asked. “Is it because they have more money? I don’t know. Again, no one has explained it to me.”

Shiach said he has parents in their 80s and he understands the need to have shuttle service that drops off guests in front of The Granada.

But he also has customers who are senior citizens and they enjoy eating outdoors, too.

“Let’s make it work for all of us, not just the few,” he said.

City Councilwoman Meagan Harmon, whose district includes the 1200 block of State Street and The Daisy, said she is flummoxed by the situation.

“As a city, we have to communicate clearly and effectively to stakeholders whenever a new policy is to be implemented,” she told Noozhawk. “While I don’t know the specifics of what was communicated here and when, it sounds like the team at The Daisy, as well as other affected parties, did not get the information they needed.

“I do support improving accessibility at The Granada — it is critical — but I’m hopeful that we will be able to work together to find a path forward that works for everyone.”

If no compromised is reached on Monday, the city will remove the outdoor furniture and bill Shiach and DeForest for the cost.