Local business steps up after event venue closes and owner refuses to offer refunds

PASADENA, Md. — As event coordinators for Two Rivers, a business in Pasadena, Danielle Stracke, and Breanna Grimes were shocked to see the WMAR-2 News story about Bleues on the Water. The venue in Glen Burnie suddenly shut down, and the owner informed customers he wouldn’t be able to offer refunds because he had already used their money to keep his business afloat.

That included customers like Roberto Silva, who booked the property for his daughter’s quinceañera and had already paid $9,000.

“A quince is a very special day in a young girl’s life. It’s her transition from childhood to adulthood. It’s a day that she’s been looking forward to all of her life, and for her to think really in the blink of an eye, all of that was going to be gone,” Grimes said.

Silva spoke to WMAR-2 News through a translator a couple of weeks ago.

“I don’t have any money to book anything else right now,” he said at the time.

Then, just before Thanksgiving, he got a call from Grimes. She said Two Rivers would host his daughter’s party for the remaining balance of the $15,000 he was planning to pay Bleues on the Water.

“They contacted him and said they were gonna help them out with the situation that happened. And now him and his family, they feel happy again,” Silva’s translator told WMAR-2 News.

“I got off the phone with them and literally it was the most heartfelt conversation that I felt like I’ve ever had with anybody. Even she [the daughter] said to me, I’m shaking right now, my mom is crying,” Grimes recalled.

“Two Rivers has been part of the community for the last 13 years, so we really just wanted to reach out to them, see what we could do to help out,” Danielle Stracke said.

Two Rivers has had a few other people who had weddings and parties booked at Bleues on the Water reach out for help too. The business is continuing to work with customers, giving them options so their special day can go on.

“Every single person that I’ve met with literally has given me the biggest hug and has cried, and I’m like, everything happens for a reason. It’s going to be beautiful and we’re going to be here every step of the way for them,” Grimes said.

Bleues on the Water filed for bankruptcy on Friday. According to the filing, the business owes at least $244,000 dollars to vendors, customers, and banks. For some customers, the amount owed is listed as unknown, so the full amount is higher than that.

Employees previously told WMAR-2 News owner Thomas Stuehler knew the business was going under for months but continued accepting payments and bookings. Stuehler himself filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in February of this year, with more than $5 million in liabilities. The business was evicted from the property in July after Stuehler failed to pay rent for over a year.

His attorney says the last few years have been hard on the catering industry, and led to a substantial loss of business.

Bleues on the Water is also named in three separate, pending lawsuits.