Feud between San Francisco Giants owner Charles Johnson, 90, and clam shack that moved in next door is resolved amicably after a friendly phone call saw lawsuit dropped

The feud between 90-year-old billionaire Charles Johnson and the owner of a Nantucket clam shack right next to his 1,200 square foot waterfront cottage has been resolved amicably.

Johnson tried to block the Straight Wharf Fish Market from opening in the summer of 2023 next to his property in Nantucket. 

The San Francisco Giants owner's understated cottage was just 18 inches away from the restaurant, which prompted him and a group of his neighbors to complain that the planned 62-seat eatery would generate too much noise and congestion in the historic Old North Wharf neighborhood. 

He filed suit last May in Nantucket Superior Court seeking to invalidate licenses the Straight Wharf Fish Market had received from relevant authorities. 

The former mutual fund executive's heavy handed legal strategy cost the restaurant's owner, Gabriel Frasca, an entire year of business, as the clam shack was supposed to open last July.

But now, thanks to a quick call between Johnson and the clam shack's landlord, Steve Karp, the dust has settled.

Johnson's attorney says his property would be just 18 inches from the clam shack. Though the cabin is modestly sized at just 1,200 square feet, it is valued at nearly $6.5million

Former mutual fund executive and current majority owner of the San Francisco Giants Charles Johnson and his wife Ann were firmly opposed to the clam shack opening but have had a change of heart

Karp recently told The Boston Globe that he called Johnson to straighten things out and see if they could remedy the problems he had been willing to go to court for.

'I called him out of the clear blue sky,' Karp told the Globe. 'I said, let's just walk around and see what your problems are.' 

Johnson accepted the offer, so the two men toured the clam shack.

Karp even acknowledged that upon looking around, Johnson did in fact have some legitimate grievances.

'The issues were there,' Karp said. 'They were good points.' 

To address the noise issues, Karp agreed to moved the HVAC units to the other side of the building, further away from Johnson's $6.5 million cottage.

As an added measure, he also agreed to put up a thick canvas tarp between the decks the cottage and the restaurant share.

All throughout this impromptu deal-making session, there was no mention of lawyers or how much things would cost, Karp said.

And best of all for the upcoming clam shack, Johnson's suit from last year was dropped.

The Boston Globe reached out to Johnson via email, and the sports team tycoon responded a day later.

'We were never opposed to the opening. The acrimony was greatly exaggerated. Our concerns were mostly with noise, hours and odors and these were resolved satisfactorily,' Johnson wrote, signing the email 'Charlie Johnson.'

The local community boards that have backed the development from the start are no doubt happy, but Frasca is the happiest of all, who didn't want to engage in a feud with a billionaire.

However, perhaps the most shocking tidbit of this yearlong saga is that Frasca won the support of another billionaire in his fight to open his restaurant.

That was Charles Schwab, who has a much larger home right next door to Johnson and the clam shack.

Another billionaire who also has a property nearby - investment guru Charles Schwab - has came out in support of the new food venture

Schwab paid $10million in 2021 for neighboring cottages in the Old North Wharf named Nautilus and Zenas Coffin.

Initially, Schwab was also opposed to the clam shack when they were initially told it would be 'a nightclub with a bar, dancing, and live music.'

But when Schwab's legal team reviewed the permits that showed that the clam shack wouldn't be hosting raves every night, Schwab decided not to oppose the restaurant. 

Even with his unexpected support, Frasca reminisced about the moments he was ready to give up. 

'Opening a restaurant is an act of lunacy in the best of times,' Frasca told the Globe. 'To get this deep into a legal battle, is it necessary? Do we need it? Is this really worth it?'

Frasca appears much more eager to talk clams than trade legal barbs.

His restaurant will be opening its doors for the first time this week, and Frasca said he hopes Johnson will stop by to feast on any one of the mouth-watering menu items.

Outside of clams, his favorites include crudo, tuna poke, a smash burger, and 'the onion rings with caviar that you didn’t know you needed.'