Izzo's Illegal Burrito Sues Rouses For $10+ Million in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge-based Mexican chain Izzo's Illegal Burrito is reportedly suing Rouses to the tune of $10 million in East Baton Rouge Parish, accusing the Thibodaux-based grocery store of pressuring and coercing developers into not letting it open locations in the area.

Izzo's claims that Rouses is targeting them as retaliation for what does sound like quite the illegal burrito: Apparently, back in 2012, a Rouses in Lafayette got its hands on one of Izzo's recipe books thanks to a former Izzo's manager who went to work in the Rouses' burrito bar. Izzo's then won a court order to retrieve the recipes.

In the new lawsuit, Izzo's claims that Rouses has been targeting them ever since 'with the intent to economically damage and destroy' the business. The company points to several leases Rouses has with developers that contain an "exclusionary provision" to keep Izzo's from opening in the same development as the grocery store, even though no other fast casual Mexican spots are excluded.

An attorney for the Juban Crossing development claims that provisions like this aren't that uncommon to begin with.