Barbecue Operator Files Bankruptcy
Barbecue king Fred Burrell has filed for bankruptcy.
Burrell encountered financial difficulties after he was forced to close his Irvine restaurant in the mid-1990s, when the site of the eatery changed owners, Burrell’s attorney said Tuesday.
“The partnership that owned the underlying land lost the property to foreclosure to the bank,” attorney Richard L. Haeussler said. “He had no place to go, so he had to close the restaurant down. It was a corporation and unfortunately the corporation hadn’t paid all of its sales taxes, and he’s had a hard time recovering from that.”
Burrell at one point operated three restaurants in the county but now is operating at his original location, a red stucco shack on Hesperian Street in Santa Ana.
In his petition, which seeks protection under bankruptcy laws, Burrell lists $74,174 in debts and $18,666 in assets.
Burrell plans to keep his Santa Ana shop open, his attorney said.
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