Y-Ike’s!

Popular sandwich shop Ike’s Place may open in its new location at 16th and Sanchez streets Saturday afternoon, an employee said Friday. The new spot is kitty-corner from its original location, which became the center of a neighborhood controversy.

The sandwich shop, currently operating in a discreet spot in the back of Lime Restaurant, is set to close business at 3 p.m. Friday in order to make the move, employee Michael Curtian said.

Ike’s Place was booted from its original location after neighbors complained the popular sandwich spot attracted too many noisy customers who blocked the sidewalk and littered.

The new home is at 3489 16th St., a larger space.

When owner Ike Shehadeh first talked about the new space to The San Francisco Examiner in December, he said the space would be better designed to handle large crowds. Even so, opponents have complained the same old problems  would follow Ike’s to its new storefront.

The Saturday opening is iffy, Curtian said.

“We’re shooting for tomorrow afternoon, but we have a lot of stuff to move,” he said.

maldax@sfexaminer.com