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Over the past six months or so, the City of Eureka has been trying very hard to evict the owner/operator of Humboldt Bay Social Club, a hotel, restaurant, bar and outdoor event venue located at the Samoa Field Airport.

The business — no membership required so it’s not technically a club — was first opened in 2017 by Jon O’Connor and Amy Cirincione O’Connor. Located at the former Eureka Municipal Airport — still city-owned property — the “rustic-chic” facilities include a licensed bar inside the old lobby building; a renovated plane hangar that can be rented for weddings and other special occasions; and a large outdoor area with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, metal fire pits, barbecues for oyster grilling and portable cornhole equipment.

It also includes four vacation rental suites on the other side of New Navy Base Road. [CORRECTION: The rentals are onsite, not across the street.] These lodging facilities range from “cozy hotel rooms to expansive family homes,” according to the website, and available guest amenities include a sauna, massage treatments and access to the grounds.

The city charges $2,600 per month in rent for the whole operation.

Humboldt Bay Social Club was purchased in July 2024 by Zephyr Hospitality, LLC, which is owned and managed by a longtime cannabis farmer and massage therapist named Nicole Fryer. In a series of legal filings dating back to December, attorneys for the City of Eureka say Fryer hasn’t made a rent payment since September 2024 and now owes the city more than $60,000.

Fryer’s company, meanwhile, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy twice in recent months. In the first case, filed on Dec. 23, her petition for bankruptcy protection was incomplete, according to court filings. Fryer, representing herself, filed a motion for an extension, saying she needed time to hire an attorney and gather “complete and accurate financial information.” The court granted the extension, but she failed to meet the next deadline and the case was dismissed.

Earlier this month, she filed Chapter 11 again, a move that the city’s attorneys describe in a March 23 filing as “part of a scheme” designed to stymie efforts to evict her.

Meanwhile, Humboldt Bay Social Club continues to schedule and promote events on its social media pages, even encouraging commenters to book events for the summer, and in an emailed statement to the Outpost, Fryer said HBSC “remains open and fully operational” while it works “toward a resolution that supports the long-term viability of the business.”

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In a recent phone interview, Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery said he and other city officials first met with Fryer to discuss her delinquent rent in December 2024.

“We told her she was in arrears but [said], ‘We’ll be nice and set up a payment plan,’” Slattery said. The plan called for her to start making her monthly rent payments plus a bit extra each month until she was caught up.

“She agreed,” Slattery said, adding, “We didn’t hear back from her for months.” 

Nor did she make any of the agreed-upon payments, according to the city’s court filings. And so, after a few more months without communication from Fryer, the city terminated her lease for nonpayment and began the process of trying to evict her. 

On December 2, 2025, Eureka’s attorneys filed an eviction lawsuit (formally known as action for unlawful detainer) in Humboldt County Superior Court. And on December 29, the court ruled in the city’s favor, awarding Eureka its back rent and granting the city the legal right to repossess the property.

However, the ruling didn’t stand. Fryer had filed her first petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just six days earlier. That filing, in California’s Northern District U.S. Bankruptcy Court, automatically stayed the unlawful detention ruling for the duration of the bankruptcy proceedings. 

As noted above, though, Fryer’s first bankruptcy filing was dismissed for failure to submit a complete application. The city quickly resumed its eviction efforts, and Humboldt County Superior Court again ruled in its favor last month. But Fryer filed for bankruptcy a second time, again triggering a stay that prevents the city from calling on sheriff’s deputies to evict Fryer, by force, if necessary.

On Monday, Eureka Deputy City Attorney Gregory M. Holtz filed the city’s latest petition for relief, which asks the court to annul that stay and clear the path for repossession of the Humboldt Bay Social Club property.

Slattery submitted a sworn declaration as part of that filing. He included screenshots of Humboldt Bay Social Club advertisements and Instagram posts offering rooms and spas and promoting events such as pop-up sushi months into the future, with no mention that the city has terminated her lease and is actively working to evict her.

“The City is concerned that these actions mislead the public because they show that the Debtor continues to receive income, engage with other small businesses, and accept reservations despite not engaging in reorganizing its debt through bankruptcy,” Slattery’s declaration says.

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Fryer’s own posts and filings

Those who follow Humboldt Bay Social Club on social media may seen indications of Fryer’s avowed financial woes. A November 5 Facebook post, for example, asked for 200 “brave” people to step up and buy $100 gift cards so that the business could “stay open,” “breathe again,” and “make it through winter without cutting staff, services, or soul.”

The post did not disclose that she hadn’t paid rent for more than a year — at least according to the city.

In a LinkedIn post from later that month, Fryer reached out in search of new investors, saying the person who “promised to fund my dream only delivered a fraction.”

“Since then,” the post continues, “I’ve been keeping everything afloat through resilience, resourcefulness, and the unwavering support of our guests and local community. Now, I’m looking for values aligned investors who understand that true impact goes beyond profit and that what we’re building here is part of Humboldt’s evolving story.”

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In a post published on December 28 — more than a month after the city had terminated her lease for nonpayment — Fryer promised to “always protect the integrity” of the business, saying it “will always be grounded in authenticity” while “we are continuing to grow it with intention and heart.”

On February 2 — after her first bankruptcy filing but before the second — Fryer announced on Facebook that Humboldt Bay Social Club was the victim of theft.

“Overnight, HBSC was broken into and our safe was stolen,” the post says. “No one was hurt and everyone is safe. It’s clear this wasn’t random, and we’re addressing it accordingly. A police report has been filed.” (The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it took a report.) 

Filings that Fryer has submitted as part of her Chapter 11 bankruptcy case give a behind-the-scenes view of her business’s finances. A statement of financial interests filed last week, for example, says Humboldt Bay Social Club has taken in more than $938,000 in gross revenue since Fryer took ownership in July 2024. That includes $578,427 in 2025 alone, according to the statement.

She also submitted the following list of creditors:

• City of Eureka: $55,000 
• Redwood Region Economic Development Center (business loan): $68,000
• Reliance Funding (merchant cash advance): $22,000
• FinPoint (merchant cash advance: $22,000 
• Last Chance Funding(merchant cash advance): $31,000 
• SBMC International (business loan): $17,000
• Mike Reinman (business loan): $5,000

We left Fryer a voicemail and sent her an email yesterday in hopes of interviewing her for this story. We subsequently arranged to speak on the phone this morning at 10:30, but she didn’t answer when we called. 

She texted 10 minutes later asking for 25 more minutes. Instead of calling, she texted to say she’d follow up via email, which she did. The email says she’s working directly with the city to resolve “lease arrears,” and it urged the Outpost to postpone publishing a story “to allow for a more complete and accurate representation.”

We responded via email, noting that this matter concerns publicly owned property and encouraged her to provide her side of the story today, either by phone or email. A little over an hour later, she emailed the following official statement:

Humboldt Bay Social Club is currently involved in an active legal process regarding lease arrears with the City of Eureka.

This is an ongoing matter, and the situation is more complex than what is reflected in court filings alone. We are actively working toward a resolution that supports the long term viability of the business.

Humboldt Bay Social Club remains open and fully operational. We are continuing to serve our guests, host events, and support our staff and local vendors.

Since acquiring the business in July 2024, we have been committed to building a sustainable, community driven destination on the Samoa Peninsula, and that commitment remains unchanged.

We are focused on securing a path forward and on the long term future of this business. Humboldt Bay Social Club is not going anywhere.

We will provide additional context as appropriate.

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A few minutes later, Fryer sent another email, again requesting that we hold off on publishing a story. 

I understand this is a matter of public interest. At the same time, this is an active legal process, and the timing of coverage before key aspects are resolved risks presenting an incomplete picture of a situation that is still actively unfolding.

There are material factors and developments that are not reflected in the current filings, including efforts underway that directly impact the outcome.

I would strongly encourage that any reporting reflects that this is an ongoing process and not a final determination, and that Humboldt Bay Social Club remains open and operating.

I also want to reiterate that there are real people tied to this, including employees, vendors, and scheduled events, and the way this is presented has immediate real world consequences.

If possible, I would appreciate the opportunity to review any direct quotes attributed to me for accuracy prior to publication.

I’m available to connect once I’m in a position to provide fuller context.

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The Outpost will continue to follow this ongoing process as it unfolds.