Blue Note Bistro owner vows to stay open

“I’m not going to give up without a fight.” That is the vow of Julie Delph, founder of the Blue Note Bistro & Lounge in downtown Miamisburg and owner of the Miami Valley Sports Bar, also in Miamisburg, in the wake of a legal dispute with a creditor and persistent rumors that both businesses have shut down. Both are still open and operating, Delph said, and she is taking steps “in the background” to keep them open. A lawsuit filed in November 2017 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court by Next Ventures Financing LLC against the Blue Note Bistro & Lounge and the Miami Valley Sports Bar is creating much of the uncertainty. The lawsuit claims that the two businesses are in default of a financial agreement and owe Next Ventures Financing $445,000. On Sept. 18, a judge issued an order granting permission for Next Ventures Financing to install padlocks at all entrances and exits of both the sports bar and the lounge. That had not happened as of Friday. A separate court order was issued allowing the financing company to bring in a selling officer/auctioneer to appraise and sell at public auction the personal property of both the sports bar and lounge. There have been discussions of scenarios that would keep both businesses open, but no formal agreement has been reached, Delph said. The Miami Valley Sports Bar has been operating for 23 years and is entering a busy season, Delph said. And business has been picking up at Blue Note, with several Christmas parties and at least two weddings scheduled, along with an Elvis tribute show set for Oct. 19. MARK FISHER