Dispute Settled, Bistro 201 Is Cooking Again

Bistro 201, closed and padlocked late last week during a bitter rent dispute, will reopen for dinner tonight. That’s a day later than originally planned, but restaurant managers said they needed more time to get the popular eatery here stocked and running again.

Bistro 201 was closed July 8 after its landlord posted an eviction notice on the front door. Later that day, West Coast Restaurant Ventures Inc., Bistro 201’s owner, responded with a bankruptcy filing. That prompted intense negotiations between Bistro 201 and attorneys representing the building’s Japanese landlord.

The result: U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge John Ryan on Wednesday morning approved an order that calls for West Coast Restaurant Ventures and several principals to pay the back rent. The checks were delivered later in the day, and Bistro 201 was back in business.

The bar at Bistro 201 was open for business Wednesday night. Bistro 201 founder David Wilhelm said he is planning a reopening celebration at the restaurant on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. “We’re glad to have it settled,” he said Wednesday outside Ryan’s Santa Ana courtroom.