Griffin Claw Brewing Co. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, business operations unaffected

In an effort to avoid further litigation between partners, the owners of Griffin Claw Brewing Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday morning.

Co-owner Scott LePage said the bankruptcy filing will not affect business operations or any employees at Griffin Claw Brewing Co., which has restaurants and bars in Birmingham and Rochester. The bankruptcy case will allow Griffin Claw to continue business as usual and preserve jobs, he said.

“Nothing’s changed. We’re open, the patios are busy and we’re ready to have a great Friday night,” he said, adding that all employees and vendors are getting paid. “It’s just an ownership issue.”

LePage’s father, Norman LePage, started Griffin Claw Brewing Company with his partner Ray Nicholson in 2011. After Nicholson’s death in 2019, a dispute began between the LePage family and Nicholson’s heirs. According to the LePage family, the two parties could not agree on who was entitled to what came from the 2019 sale of the BFD Clubhouse in Rochester to Griffin Claw Brewing Company. The BFD Clubhouse in Rochester Hills is now branded as Griffin Claw Brewing Company.