Glamorous owner of legendary restaurant ordered to pay $1million after feud with ex-partner as eatery faces closing for good

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 06:51, 1 May 2026 | Updated: 07:11, 1 May 2026 The ritzy owner of a high-end California restaurant has been ordered to pay her former partner more than $1 million as their bitter feud continues. Tosca Cafe owner Anna Weinberg, 48, must pay over $1.1 million to ex-partner David Stanton for breach of contract, per a San Francisco Superior Court ruling detailed by the San Francisco Chronicle. The judgment leaves an uncertain future for the historic North Beach restaurant that the pair bought in 2019. It also allows Stanton to freeze Weinberg's ownership stake in the limited liability company that controls Tosca, which could mark a step towards taking control of the San Francisco restaurant. Weinberg insisted that the judgment would not affect the restaurant, calling it 'business as usual.' 'If you come to Tosca, you will see me at the door,' she told the outlet. When contacted by the Daily Mail on Thursday night, Stanton said via text message: 'The court order speaks for itself.' The century-old Tosca Cafe was previously known as a celebrity hotspot that the likes of Francis Ford Coppola and Sean Penn frequented. A San Francisco Superior Court ruling determined that Tosca Cafe owner Anna Weinberg (pictured) must pay over $1.1 million to ex-partner David Stanton because of breach of contract Tosca Cafe, located in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, was previously known as a celebrity hotspot David Stanton said 'the court order speaks for itself' when contacted about the ruling. Weinberg said the restaurant would be 'business as usual' Stanton's attorney, Scott Emblidge, said Weinberg 'had her day in court, represented by counsel, and the court ruled against her on every issue presented.' 'It's time for her to live up to her financial obligations,' Emblidge told the San Francisco Chronicle. The lawsuit was the result of an agreement Weinberg and Stanton signed in 2021 in which Weinberg agreed to buy Stanton out of Tosca and Park Tavern, their other North Beach restaurant, for more than $1.6 million. In turn, Stanton agreed to purchase Weinberg's stake in a Sonoma County property. The court found Weinberg had failed to complete her payments, failing to make follow-up payments after an initial $750,000. Weinberg's unpaid amount was calculated to be approximately $650,000, with the judgment going up because of interest. Stanton's attorney's fees, which are yet to be calculated, must also be paid for by Weinberg. Park Tavern was eventually evicted by its landlord but reopened by Stanton and her former ex-husband James Nicholas. Weinberg said her 'business literally halved' after buying Tosca Cafe, detailing personal and professional struggles Tosca Cafe was described as being in 'survival mode' by Weinberg, though she insisted that she was hopeful about its future The North Beach restaurant was purchased by the pair in 2019, though its future now seems uncertain Since buying Tosca Cafe, Weinberg said she has struggled in both her personal and professional life. That included the lawsuit filed by Stanton and going through a divorce from Nicholas, the San Francisco Standard reported. 'My business literally halved,' she told the outlet. 'I fell behind.' Weinberg added: 'There is the bad press, the legal fees... It's one thing after another.' The restaurateur acknowledged that she wished she had a 'backup plan' and that she was reliant on 'public perception.' 'I want people to know that I have enough optimism that, once these things are behind me, I can turn things around,' she said. She described Tosca as being in 'survival mode,' though she added that she was hopeful about the restaurant's future. 'I kind of have to be,' she said. The Daily Mail has reached out to Weinberg for further comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.