Owners of popular restaurant chains have encountered financial difficulties in paying their merchant cash advances, leading certain dining companies to defend lawsuits, or in other cases, file for bankruptcy protection.
Defunct high-end Northern California French restaurant chain Left Bank‘s owner is facing a lawsuit filed against it by merchant cash advance provider Samson MCA after the dining company permanently shut down all seven of its locations on June 24.
Samson MCA filed a lawsuit against Left Bank owner Vine Hospitality in the Erie County Superior Court in New York, seeking payment of a $1.876 million balance on its merchant cash advance, plus about $500,000 in attorney’s fees, SFGate reported.
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Merchant cash advance lawsuit
The plaintiff alleges that Vine Hospitality agreed on March 19, 2026, to sell Samson MCA the right to collect $2.345 million in proceeds from future restaurant sales in exchange for an upfront payment, according to the lawsuit filed on July 1, 2026. Under the agreement, Vine agreed to pay 8% of all restaurant sales until the $2.345 million debt had been paid off.
Vine Hospitality allegedly paid Samson MCA about $469,000 before it stopped making payments, the lawsuit said. Samson claimed in the lawsuit that Vine stopped making payments while it was still operating and generating income, SFGate reported.
Vine Hospitality was not immediately available for comment for this article. The company had not filed for bankruptcy at last check.
Left Bank said in a June 22 Instagram post that it will shut down all seven of its locations by the end of the day on June 24.
Restaurant closures affected 300 workers
The closing of the seven restaurants affected the employment of about 300 workers, according to KRON-TV in San Francisco.
“The business wasn’t successful enough to continue operating,” Vine Hospitality CEO Alistair Levine said in an email to KRON-TV. “We don’t have (a) plan to reopen anything elsewhere in the Bay Area.”
The 32-year-old restaurant chain’s owner Vine Hospitality posted a farewell message on Instagram related to the closings.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our Left Bank restaurants will be closing,” the message read. “We are incredibly grateful for every meal shared, every toast raised, and every memory created with us.”
“We also want to thank our dedicated team members, whose hard work, passion, and commitment brought the spirit of Left Bank to life each and every day,” the message said.
Vine Hospitality closed 7 locations
Vine Hospitality listed the locations and closing dates in the Instagram message: Left Bank Menlo Park, Calif., June 23; Left Bank Santana Row, San Jose, Calif., June 23; Left Bank Larkspur, Calif., June 24; Petite Left Bank Tiburon, Calif., June 22; LB Steak Bishop Ranch, San Ramon, Calif., June 22; LB Steak Santana Row, San Jose, Calif., June 24; and Meso Modern Mediterranean, San Ramon, Calif., June 22.
Vine Hospitality’s Left Bank chain is not the only restaurant company that has had difficulties with merchant cash advances.
Café Fiorello owner filed for bankruptcy
The Fireman Group of Cafe Concepts Inc., a restaurant chain that includes iconic Café Fiorello locations in New York and Washington, D.C., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Aug. 9 to reorganize its business and restructure its debt obligations after facing merchant cash advance disputes, according to court documents.
The debtor began obtaining merchant cash advances in spring 2024 to fill its liquidity gaps but allegedly began missing rent payments to landlords in March 2026, according to court papers.
Related: Popular discount mattress chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
