"The main issue is this litigation. Until this is done, there's not much else we can do," says David P. Illingworth '71, associate dean of Harvard College. "There's nothing to negotiate about."

Illingworth says the College may have to postpone renovations of the Pudding building that were expected to start this coming May.

"As the weeks tick on, I continue to be worried that the whole schedule might get off. We'd have to engage a contractor pretty soon, if we want him for May," says Illingworth.

G. Pebble Gifford, president of the Harvard Square Defense Fund, said her community advocacy group would like to see the restaurant remain in its current location.

"It's one of the nicer public spaces in the Square, it's a little bit of Harvard, and we'd like to see the public still have access to it," Gifford said.

"The restaurant is unusual, unique and particular to Harvard Square," Gifford said. "I go there two times a year and consider it a treat."

Illingworth said he just wants to get started on turning the Pudding building into a space that all undergraduates can use.