House foreclosure entangles chef Bonnie Saran’s ‘Little’ eateries

A foreclosure on a house owned by chef Bonnie Y. Saran has involved her “Little” empire of popular eateries.

Susan C. Gutman of Pompano Beach, Florida filed the foreclosure action against Saran, Little Bonnie & Co. LLC, Little Kabab Station Inc., Little Mumbai Market Inc. and Little Drunken Chef Inc., Jan. 6 in Westchester Supreme Court.

The complaint states that the restaurants have an interest or lien on the property.

Bonnie Saran Little foreclosure
Saran

Saran”™s “little” concept has made a big impression, with the openings of six restaurants in eight years. Little Kabab Station, a 12-seater on East Main Street in Mount Kisco was the first in 2011. Martha Stewart tweeted and blogged about Saran, according to a 2017 story in Edible Hudson Valley magazine, and Bill and Hillary Clinton became regulars.

In quick succession she opened Little Spice Bazaar and Little Crepe Street in Mount Kisco, Little Mumbai Market in Pleasantville and Little Drunken Chief in Mount Kisco and White Plains.

In 2017, Little Bonnie & Co. bought a Mount Kisco house from Gutman for $675,000, as an investment property.

Little Bonnie & Co. mortgaged the property with Gutman for $630,000, and Saran personally guaranteed the debt.

The monthly payment was set at $3,577, and Little Bonnie & Co. was also required to pay tax assessments and water and sewer charges.

Gutman”™s attorney, Anthony J. Pieragostini sent a notice of default in October, claiming that Saran had missed the September payment and had been late on four previous payments.

As of December, according to the complaint, Little Bonnie & Co. had failed to pay $29,124 in real estate taxes for two years, missed the December mortgage payment and had not paid water and sewer charges.

Gutman depends on the mortgage payments for her living expenses, Pieragostini stated in the default notice, “and this is causing an extreme problem.”

Saran did not immediately respond to email and telephone messages asking for her side of the story.

Gutman is demanding that the house be sold to cover the mortgage debt, and that Saran and Little Bonnie & Co. make up the difference for any amounts still owed after the sale.