One of South Kitsap’s most popular sports bars is being forced to relocate.

It is just a matter of when that occurs.

Tommy C’s Sports Bar & Grill owner Tommy Cash said Monday that his establishment, Sk8Town and another tenant at 1501 Piperberry Way, were told they must vacate the premise by Feb. 28.

Cash said that date reflects the latest timeline the building’s owner, First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, provided in a letter. He said he first learned First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, which is based in Raleigh, N.C., wanted tenants to vacate the building in a Dec. 23 letter.

“They drew a line in the sand and told everyone to vacate the property,” Cash said. “I think they’ve made up their mind.”

Both Cash and Mark Baker, who owns Sk8Town, were surprised by the development.

“We definitely were blindsided by the eviction,” said Baker, who paid rent to First Citizens Bank & Trust Company since May. “Nobody thought anything would change.”

Cash, who has 18 employees, said he has no intention of shuttering a successful business. But because of the extensive process that comes with a move — Cash wants to find a location with a commercial kitchen in place — he is seeking an extension on his lease through September.

His predicament began when he said he was notified May 30 that the previous owner, P&H Properties, had not paid the mortgage on the building for eight months. Cash said he and his wife, Esther, paid rent on time each month since they opened in the 5,350-square foot space in early 2011.

Baker said he had a strong relationship with P&H Properties, which he said kept his rent affordable to make Sk8Town fiscally viable. That is part of the reason why Baker, unlike Cash, does not plan to relocate his business.

“I’ve looked around and the properties — and what a skating rink brings in — doesn’t match up,” he said.

Helen Kestle, owner of Fab U Look Hair Salon and Skin Care, said she also received a letter in December from First Citizens Bank & Trust Company.

Kestle said she has been operating her business in the building for three years.

Ron Richmond, an attorney representing Kestle, said Tuesday he is looking at several options for his client.

“Right now I am representing her to negotiate a satisfactory resolution,” he said. “We have several options on the table.

“We are just working to make sure that Helen interests are protected. The one offer they sent me is demanding — whatever we enter into — that my client sign a stipulation that she be evicted at the end of that time period. I don’t particularly like it.”

Cash said he considered purchasing the building, which was constructed in 2006, at a trustee’s sale on Dec. 5, but his advisers told him the $1.58 million asking price was too high.

First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, which also owns the property at 1521 Piperberry Way, took ownership Dec. 9 when no buyer was found.

Cash said his attempts to renegotiate his lease were rebuffed.

“We didn’t want to leave our current location,” he said. “We’re thriving and have a great customer base.”

Cash would prefer to remain in South Kitsap, but also will examine potential locations in Bremerton, Gig Harbor and Silverdale.

“We’ve built a strong customer base,” Cash said. “The further we move away, the less we retain.”

He discovered the sports bar’s current location when he and friends stumbled across Blondie’s Restaurant & Lounge. Cash long dreamed of opening a bar — and when Blondie’s closed — he moved into their space and made some modifications, most notably adding a second bar and 30 flat-screen televisions.

Before opening Tommy C’s, Cash briefly attended Shoreline Community College before traveling to Colorado and Florida, and then spent a year in New Zealand. Upon his return to Kitsap County, the 1995 Central Kitsap High School graduate worked in painting, construction and real-estate development.

• Editor Dannie Oliveaux contributed to this story