Eddie’s of Mount Vernon was slated to close for good. Then the owner changed his mind.

Reports of the end days of Eddie’s of Mount Vernon, it turns out, were greatly exaggerated. The popular midtown grocery on Tuesday was the scene of an epic retail drama that involved a diverse cast of characters including a team of city health inspectors, store owner Dennis Zorn, landlord Dennis Richter, Facebook patrons and City Councilman Eric Costello. The situation escalated and a city health department spokesman said Baltimore police were called to Eddie’s and took a report for verbal and physical assault.