In my six years of reporting on the Twin Cities nightlife scene, I have never interviewed Mike Whitelaw. Bargoers might not know the name, but he is notorious among the servers, bartenders and bouncers in the club scene. Some call him the most intimidating club owner in Minneapolis -- a tough boss and an even tougher competitor. He doesn't talk to the press.
The other day, Whitelaw called me. I was almost stunned to hear his voice on the phone.
His holdings include Club New York, Fusion and the bars formerly known as Drink (Uptown and downtown). In 2004, he opened Spin, Minneapolis' first superclub. For a time, Whitelaw, 44, was the city's most successful club owner.
Business isn't what it used to be. The Uptown Drink ("The Original Fun Bar") filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in October. Spin closed in March. And Fusion is going through its second rebranding.
But for a man whose businesses are in flux, Whitelaw sounded very confident.
"Nothing is going to happen to Drink," he told me. "It's going to go through its reorganization and pay its bills and take care of its customers."
So, the bar isn't closing. And there's no indication to say otherwise. Other big Minneapolis bars have gone through bankruptcy -- both Seven and Aqua reorganized and came out healthier.
The bankruptcy, Whitelaw said, isn't the result of slow business but the product of long and costly litigation. In January 2010, six former servers and bartenders filed a class-action lawsuit against Whitelaw, Uptown Drink and Spin. The suit accused management of altering time-clock records, as well as slapping employees with the cost of unsigned credit card receipts and register shortages. In August, a jury awarded the 700 employees a dismal $15,668. Whitelaw said the small award was a win for his defense, but now he faces a mountain of legal fees.
