Oscar’s owner alleges unfair treatment in Plaza Theatre dispute

PALM SPRINGS, KESQ (Calif.) - A public dispute has emerged between the owner of Oscar's in downtown Palm Springs and the Plaza Theatre, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of negotiations over a space used by the theater.

In social media statements and an interview with News Channel 3, Oscar's owner Dan Gore said the restaurant and the Plaza Theatre had long maintained a positive working relationship. Gore said Oscar's served food and drinks to theater patrons and allowed the theater to use facilities within the restaurant.

Gore claims the dispute began when the general manager of Oak View Group, the company that manages the Plaza Theatre, pushed him to renegotiate terms for continued use of the green room space.

According to Gore, he offered to let the theater continue using the space informally, but that offer was rejected. He also alleges the city and the Plaza Theatre have since ignored his business and denied it opportunities because of the disagreement.

The Plaza Theatre disputes those claims.

In a statement, theater officials said they approached Oscar's in 2024 about subleasing the green room space. They claim Gore instead requested that either the theater or the property owner buy out his entire business lease.

The theater also said Gore declined several proposed incentives, including preferred caterer status, promotion and sales of pre-show dinners, and waived fees for the use of Plaza Theatre facilities.

The Plaza Theatre denied acting in bad faith during negotiations and said any business challenges facing Oscar's are unrelated to the theater.

News Channel 3 has spoken to both sides as the dispute continues.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.