Weebly co-founders Dan Veltri (left), Chris Fanini and David Rusenko in 2011. Fanini has bought properties from struggling Sonoma developer Kenneth Mattson, including the Sonoma Cheese Factory and Sonoma's Best.
Lacey Atkins/The ChronicleStruggling Sonoma real estate developer Kenneth Matteson has sold more than a dozen Sonoma properties, including two buildings housing well-known companies, to San Francisco software developer and venture capitalist Chris Fannini.
AniDel Hospitality, a real estate company owned by Mr. Fanini, announced this week that it had acquired two beloved Sonoma neighborhood anchors, the Sonoma Cheese Factory and Sonoma's Best Modern Mercantile. A spokesman for Mr. Fanini also confirmed that he has purchased 11 additional properties through another company he controls, I Heart Sonoma LLC.
“Sonoma is a special place to me,” Fannini said in a news release accompanying the announcement. “It is a vibrant community and my family and I have long considered it a second home.”
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“We're excited to bring these iconic places back to life,” said the Weebly co-founder.
The sale comes as Mattson fends off accusations from a former business partner that he embezzled at least $75 million in client funds, an FBI investigation and lawsuits from investors. Mattson and partner Timothy LeFebvre built a real estate empire worth more than $400 million in Sonoma and across the state. At their peak, the duo acquired 116 properties in and around Sonoma valued at more than $240 million. That acquisition rush has only begun to unravel in the past six weeks, after facing stiff opposition in the small Wine Country city over allegations about their business practices and motives.
Mattson put his Piedmont home on the market for $9.9 million in May. He owned a classic car dealership that recently closed after lawsuits and complaints from customers who didn't pay for their vehicles or took too long to pay after selling them.
Mr. Mattson's company, KS Mattson Partners LP, sold most of the property to Mr. Fannini in early May, when his feud with Mr. LeFebvre became public.
As investments, the properties Fannini acquired didn't perform well for Matteson: He bought them between March 2016 and September 2023, according to county records and property sales data reviewed by The Chronicle. He spent $19 million ($21.6 million adjusted for inflation) on 10 properties, which he sold in May for $19.6 million.
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A spokesman for Mattson was not immediately available for comment.
The property sale was first reported by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Mr. Fannini, 39, is the co-founder of Weebly, a San Francisco-based technology company that offers software to help web users build websites, and has lived in the city for 17 years.
Square (now known as Block) acquired the company in 2018 for $365 million.
The company boasts that it “powers millions of businesses across more than 50 million sites” worldwide.
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Since leaving Weebly, Fannini has invested in a variety of companies, from wine makers to software companies specializing in education, communications and business applications.
According to an Anidel news release, the company's vision for the Sonoma Cheese Factory and Sonoma's Best is “rooted in honoring its history while embracing new growth opportunities.”
“The Anidel team is committed to preserving the unique character of each store, reimagining the customer experience, caring for our associates and fostering vibrant community hubs,” company executives said.
A review of California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control records shows that Fanini has filed paperwork to transfer the liquor licenses for both establishments. Records show that Fanini applied for a temporary permit to transfer Matteson's beer and wine license on June 11.
Mattson has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks.
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In May, Mr. LeFever publicly accused his partners of depositing funds raised from investors into Mr. Matteson's own accounts, rather than into the limited partnership as promised. Shortly after Mr. LeFever's accusations were made public, the FBI searched Mr. Matteson's home.
As the scandal widens, lawsuits are piling up. On June 5, one of Mattson's investors filed a lawsuit against Mattson and two of his companies, accusing them of defrauding her and her late husband of at least $600,000. On June 7, LeFever filed suit in Sonoma County Superior Court, calling Mattson a “thief” and accusing him of lying to LeFever and numerous other investors for more than a decade and funneling $75 million of the partnership's funds into his own accounts.
That same day, Mattson filed a lawsuit against LeFebvre in Sacramento County, accusing LeFebvre of engaging in unfair competitive practices, wrongfully denying him access to company documents, and deceiving Mattson into signing an indemnification agreement admitting to acts it now claims it did not commit.
He disputed LeFever's claim that he was unaware of Mattson's investment activities, saying LeFever was “private to all the key decisions” and spoke to Mattson daily.
In Sonoma, staff at Wake Up Sonoma, a nonprofit watchdog group, are watching developments with alarm.
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The group was formed in response to concerns from residents worried about Matteson's land purchase, and on Friday, Lisa Storment, the group's president, said she had contacted Fannini and wanted to meet to learn more about his plans for the property.
“I think this may be a good thing for the community, but I don't know yet,” she said. “I wish he was a little more transparent and willing to meet with the community. Maybe that's his plan, but for now it's a wait-and-see approach.”
Contact St. John Bernd Smith at stjohn.smith@sfchronicle.com
