GARFIELD’S FILES FOR CHAPTER 11

When Garfield’s Nite Spot in Huntington Beach switched from a Top 40 disco format and began booking original music bands in April, the club’s owners promised to fill the void left by the Golden Bear, which closed in January after months of financial problems.

But beside picking up many of the same local and national acts that frequented the Golden Bear, Garfield’s has followed another, less enviable, Golden Bear lead--right into bankruptcy court.

Garfield’s Nite Spot Inc. has filed for financial reorganization and protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Chapter 11 provisions permit a business to remain open while paying off debts. Documents filed in federal bankruptcy court in Santa Ana list more than $112,000 in debts, including approximately $35,000 in federal, state and other taxes. A complete list of Garfield’s assets was not available in the preliminary listing of assets and debts.

Reached Friday at the club, Garfield’s president and principal owner Burk Dennis said the Chapter 11 action, filed in March, is “a legal maneuver” and added, “We’ll be out of it in about two months.

Dennis said, “It’s a classic example of the big corporation against the little guy. This is just a legal maneuver to stop (the landlord) from evicting us. It’s not really a bankruptcy,” Dennis said.

But a representative for the landlord--August Management of Long Beach--said, “It’s not like that at all,” and referred further questions to attorney Glen Dresser, who was unavailable for comment Friday afternoon. Garfield’s owes August Management more than $20,000 in rent, court records show.

In the wake of the closings of the Golden Bear, Radio City in Anaheim and Spatz in Huntington Harbour in the last six months, the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and Safari Sam’s in Huntington Beach remain as the only Orange County clubs booking original music full time. A few other clubs, including Garfield’s and Big John’s in Anaheim, have been experimenting with presenting local and regional acts two or three nights a week.

Garfield’s, which opened in May, 1984, turned to live original music last month for mid-week shows, retaining its Top 40 format on weekends, in part to capitalize on the Golden Bear’s displaced audience and in part to boost slumping mid-week business, club manager Donna Lipp said in April.

In its first few weeks with a concert format, Garfield’s has presented such nationally known acts as Bo Diddley, Etta James and Tower of Power as well as popular Southern California-based bands including Fishbone and El Grupo Sexo. Performers scheduled in coming weeks include Pat Travers, Nicolette Larson and the Pandoras.