Starfish
Asian fusion restaurant · Newport Beach ·
Asian fusion small plates, fresh sushi, tender filet, great cocktails
Asian fusion small plates, fresh sushi, tender filet, great cocktails
"I note that this Heights seafood hotspot at 191 Heights Boulevard, Star Fish, opened in 2017 and served its final service last Saturday before closing for about a month for an interior revamp as it is transformed into a new concept; Sambrooks Management Company, which purchased Star Fish (along with Pi Pizza and Sam’s Fried Chicken and Donuts) in 2018 from now-defunct Cherry Pie Hospitality, appears to be rebranding and distancing the operation amid Cherry Pie Hospitality’s ongoing lawsuits alleging a fire-sale of assets and investor claims." - Amy McCarthy
"Included in an August 2018 package purchase by Sambrooks Management Company for a total of $464,994 covering multiple restaurants plus their recipes, intellectual property, and stored equipment; the transaction has been characterized as a below-market fire sale in related court filings, and an investor alleges the sale proceeds did not go toward repaying his $1 million loan." - Amy McCarthy
"Part of a small local restaurant group that ran into financial and legal trouble, this seafood spot was locked out of its Heights location in mid-2017 over unpaid rent, reopened a few days later, and was ultimately sold as part of a package of restaurants to a new owner by late August 2018." - Amy McCarthy
"Acquired earlier this year by the ownership group from The Pit Room’s Michael Sambrooks after being purchased from Cherry Pie Hospitality, this restaurant will have its menu revamped under culinary director Lyle Bento." - Amy McCarthy
"Also sold amid the parent group's breakup, this Heights seafood-focused restaurant experienced a one-day closure when the company was locked out of its space during the same banking-related dispute; a TABC application names Michael Sambrooks as the new listed manager as part of the transition." - Amy McCarthy
Claudia M.
Diksha B.
Kim C.
Natalie L.
Amanda L.
Sam T.
Catherine
Jerry F.
