Owners of Glitzy Restaurant Leave Aspen in a Rush

They came from Los Angeles with Hollywood money and haute cuisine. But four months later, the celebrity proprietors of a glitzy Aspen, Colo., restaurant left in a rush, stiffing workers on their paychecks and leaving suppliers with thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, police say.

“They have left owing money,” confirmed Aspen police Sgt. Gary White, who is investigating the financial fallout of 72 Aspen, the defunct restaurant whose investors have also backed such tony eateries as 72 Market Street in Venice and Maple Drive in Beverly Hills.

An estimated 20 workers, from dishwashers to assistant managers, did not receive their final paychecks when the restaurant closed in late March, according to Mark Tye, the former bar manager at 72 Aspen.

“They came out here with the Hollywood mystique and then got out in the middle of the night,” said Tye, 35, who has filed suit in Aspen small claims court for $550 in back pay. “It’s kind of lousy that the employees took it on the chin.”

Located in the center of the glitzy Rocky Mountain resort, 72 Aspen opened in December to large crowds that dined on $17 meat loaf and buzzed about patrons such as actors Sylvester Stallone and Michael Douglas.

72 Aspen was built on the site of another trendy restaurant, Gordon’s, owned by Bruce Paltrow, the producer of such notable television shows as “St. Elsewhere.” After Gordon’s closed, Paltrow--who also produced “Tattinger’s,” a short-lived TV series about a New York restaurant--brought in 72 Market Street co-owner Julie Stone as a manager and investor, employees said.

Last October, Stone said that another 72 Market Street partner, director-producer Tony Bill, would join her in reopening the restaurant as 72 Aspen. Stone was also formerly a partner at Maple Drive; Bill retains a share in the Beverly Hills restaurant. Neither was available for comment.

Soon, though, 72 Aspen ran into trouble. Large crowds during the first month overwhelmed the new crew, leading to numerous complaints that spread through the small ski town. “If somebody goes and has a bad time, everyone knows very quickly,” said Nina Stewart, a former manager, who claims the restaurant owes her nearly $2,000 in back pay.

Furthermore, employees say the restaurant was burdened with a heavy debt inherited from Gordon’s. Toward the end, waiters helped out in the kitchen after the chef and one-third of his staff left the restaurant in a dispute over pay.

It was after the close of business on a Saturday in late March that Stone told the staff the restaurant was closing. According to employees, she said that she was going to try and raise cash to pay them.

But workers say they have yet to be paid, and Aspen city officials say more than $10,000 worth of checks issued by the restaurant to suppliers have bounced.

“The restaurant ran into financial problems . . . and it was decided among the investors not to put more money into the corporation,” said attorney Rosario Perry, who represents Stone. “They are trying to sell the restaurant, and whoever buys it . . . would pay these debts off.”

Paltrow relinquished his ownership interest in 72 Aspen “a while ago,” an assistant to the producer said.

“It’s kind of like following a paper trail trying to get paid,” said Tye. The investors “are economically very secure. But nobody wants to deal with the employees’ problems.”