Shore House Cafe files for bankruptcy

NEWPORT BEACH — The Shore House Cafe, a 30-year-old Balboa Peninsula icon, filed for bankruptcy this month, public records show, but is still open for business.

Stephen Madoni, a Newport Beach attorney representing Shore House and Chief Financial Officer David Beladonna, called the move a “reorganization,” but did not offer further comment.

Shore House Cafe Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Court, Central District, on June 23, according to court filings reviewed by the Daily Pilot.

The business owes $1.62 million to creditors with the largest unsecured claims, according to the documents.

That figure includes five lawsuits and unpaid taxes to the Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector, the Department of Industrial Relations and the Internal Revenue Service.

At least one former employee is suing.

Geoffrey Umpleby claims he is owed nearly $33,000 in unpaid overtime and break time, according to court papers.

Umpleby worked at the peninsula location from 2003 to 2008. He confirmed that he is suing, but did not comment on why he was no longer employed there.

The restaurant chain, which features a host of American and international menu items and is known for its kitschy interior, had at one point five locations in Orange County and neighboring Long Beach.

As of Thursday, the restaurant’s website listed two locations: one the peninsula, 801 E. Balboa Blvd.; and the other at 5271 E. Second St., in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood.