Chef Mourad Lahlou mentioned a "bitter dispute" with San Francisco city officials when he announced the closure of his acclaimed restaurant Mourad on Saturday. Now we have some insight into that.

The local food world was taken by surprise with an announcement Saturday that Mourad was closing after 10 years, and that Saturday's would be the restaurant's final service.

No doubt the pandemic played an enormous role in the restaurant's financial situation of the last several years. Forced closures in 2020 followed by limited indoor dining that was allowed and disallowed again into 2021, followed by the extremely slow and still ongoing recovery of downtown itself, all surely contributed to a bottom line that was not what it had been.

And then came the nasty loss of a Michelin star in late 2022.

Now we are learning of an added source of trouble, which was a business tax bill to the City of San Francisco. It's not clear if the "bitter dispute" Lahlou mentioned had something to do with a tax protest, and he has not yet commented on the new revelation.

But the SF Standard has learned that the city sued Mourad for unpaid taxes three months ago, and that the tax bills, some dating back to 2020, total more than $100,000.

The publication also spoke to Mourad's former Director of Operations Scott Chilcutt, who said he had resigned from the restaurant "several" months ago over a disagreement with Lahlou — and perhaps this tax situation was at the center of it.

It will be interesting to hear Lahlou's side of this, if and when he provides comment. And it will be interesting to see if other restaurateurs rush to Lahlou's side, given the steady drumbeat of complaints since the pandemic about the city not doing enough to help small businesses, especially when it comes to issues around street cleanliness and crime.

Lahlou's other restuarant, Aziza in the Outer Richmond, remains open.

Update: Lahlou still has not added his own comment, but the Chronicle got a statement from the city's Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector regarding . "If taxpayers are late, we communicate with them early and often about their obligations and any penalties that apply to late payments," said Amanda Fried, chief of policy and communications for the office. "Entering a summary judgment with the court to collect monies owed to the City is not a decision we take [lightly] given the impact it can have on a business."

Previously: Mourad Abruptly Announces Closure, Cites 'Bitter Dispute' With City Officials as One Cause

Photo via mouradsf.com