Up to a dozen couples could be out of their Dallas Arts District wedding venue -- and an $8,000 deposit.
Aija Restaurant and Banquet, located in the Trammel Crow Building, has declared bankruptcy and went out of business.
An attorney for Aija said up to 12 couples put up an average $8,000 to secure the venue for a wedding.
Josh Hart and Rachel Romero learned about the closing just two and half months before their wedding date.
"That is a big loss when you are a young couple starting out," Hart said. "A hit like that is tough to overcome."
Aija's attorney said the restaurant was "hemorrhaging money." Bankruptcy was the restaurant's only choice after it failed to renegotiate its lease, he said.
The attorney could not explain why the owner failed to notify any of the couples of the restaurants plight.
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Hart and Romero are now scrambling to find a new venue for their wedding reception. Hotel Palomar vowed to work with the couple after hearing their plight.
"I just keep reminding myself, it's not the worst thing," Romero said. "We may be out the money, but we are still getting married."
Legal analyst Clint David predicts bad news for anyone who booked an event with Aija.
"Their deposits have been hijacked; they are gone," he said. "The likelihood of seeing cents on the dollar is negligible."
