Co-owners of Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen settle dispute out of court, avoiding receivership

Owners of the Little Bear Saloon in Evergreen have resolved legal differences that cast a pall over the longtime music venue this year, allowing it to avoid a receivership or closure.

“The members of Little Bear Saloon LLC are pleased to announce that they have reached an amicable settlement of their recent dispute,” they said. “They look forward to the Little Bear continuing its long tradition of providing great live music and entertainment for its customers.”

Known for its rustic Western appearance, the building at 28075 Highway 74 dates to the 1880s and has been the Little Bear since the 1970s. It was last sold in November 2023.

The buyers were JR Iannaccone, Patrick Robson and Alexandra Robson. Iannaccone owns Bistro Del Lago, an Italian restaurant down the street from Little Bear, and Evergreen-based JR’s Landscaping & Property Maintenance. The Robsons are a local married couple.

In June, Iannaccone sued the Robsons, accusing them of using the saloon’s “checking account and credit card as their own personal checking account” while not timely paying bills.

The Robsons denied that and, in September, countersued Iannaccone for defamation and abuse of the legal process. They claimed his bad-mouthing caused “harm to their reputations in the community, embarrassment for their family and lost consulting work.”

Because of the dispute, the threat of receivership — or worse — hung over the venue this fall.

“The Robsons’ treatment of the LLC has effectively been driving the restaurant into the ground,” Iannaccone warned on Halloween, “and with Mr. Iannaccone no longer able to cover loan payments out of pocket, the LLC and all its assets are moments away from destruction.”