CLEVELAND — Chef Jonathon Sawyer, a legend of Cleveland’s restaurant scene, has filed for personal bankruptcy.
Sawyer, along with his wife, Amelia Lina Zatik, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy this week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.
According to court records, the couple lists nearly $1.6 million in debts against just over $563,000 in assets. The numbers are contained in a 106-page bankruptcy filing.
Many of the debtors listed are labeled as business debts.
Last month, Sawyer stunned Clevelanders when he announced the closing of the Greenhouse Tavern, a mainstay of the city’s restaurant scene. The East Fourth Street restaurant opened to much fanfare in 2009 and was lavished with national praise.
The sudden closing follows Sawyer’s decision in 2019 to also shutter his Trentina restaurant in University Circle and the Noodlecat in Westlake's Crocker Park.
His business holdings have been targeted for lawsuits from contractors and others alleging unpaid bills.
In fact, his bankruptcy filing contains 15 pages labeled “Unpaid Bills Detail” under the Greenhouse Tavern name. Those debts total over $417,000, records show.
Sawyer seeks to exempt from bankruptcy his Geauga County home, with a current market price of $489,200, as well as his 2016 Ford F-150, a 2010 Vespa Scooter and a 2016 Motoguzzi.
Debts include a 2017 Mercedes-Benz purchased for $24,010.
Debtors include a series of food vendors such as Blue Ribbon Meats [$43,297] and Catanese Classic Seafoods [$11,818], several credit cards, legal fees, utilities, and $110,000 for his company, Chef Sawyer LLC.
A court hearing for Sawyer and his wife is scheduled for April 14. 3News reached out to Jonathan Sawyer for comment, but he has not yet responded.
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