Details of Shaya/Besh Split Emerge in Court Docs

The latest development in the Alon Shaya and John Besh saga has arrived: On Tuesday, Alon Shaya filed a motion asking the judge to “immediately block Shaya’s former partners from using the Shaya name while the dispute plays out in court,” reports Brett Anderson. Shaya requested a January 31 hearing on the motion.

In December, Shaya dropped his plans to purchase his namesake restaurant, but filed a lawsuit for the rights to his name. This new motion basically asks that they stop using the name right now, before they court decides who has the rights to the name. The December filing over the name claimed that the Shaya “brand” has been “tarnished by association with the widely reported immoral, unethical, and undignified behavior of Besh, Mantilla, and BRG.”

The legal battle between the former business partners (Octavio Mantilla, John Besh, and Alon Shaya) has become a window into the contentious spit between the groups. After Shaya sued for the rights to his name towards the end of December, new BRG Hospitality CEO Shannon White said in a statement that that there is much more to the story and that the rest of that will be “forthcoming” in court filings. And, so it is.

Here’s a quick timeline of events, as newly revealed in the motion, according to Brett Anderson.

• September 2015: The three business partners considered, but vacated, revisions to the operating agreements of Shaya, Domenica, and Pizza Domenica.
• May 2017: The partners met to discuss the “termination of the business relationship. The meeting was heated at times.”
• August 19, 2017: Besh left Shaya a voice message saying, according to the motion, “Hey Alon. This is John. I spoke with Octavio and understand that ya’ll had a heated talk. I just want to let you that you know what, I don’t want your restaurant, I don’t want any of the fame that comes with it. I don’t want any of that.”
• September 18, 2017: Shaya attended a meeting with Besh and Mantilla, where he thought they would formalize the split and the partners would allow Shaya to purchase Shaya restaurant. Instead, Shaya was fired from all three restaurants he helmed at that meeting.

The split between the high-profile chefs was first reported by Brett Anderson on September 18, just a month before Anderson’s shattering report on the culture of sexual harassment at Besh’s restaurant group.

MORE READING

Chef Alon Shaya Ups the Ante in Legal Fight Over His Name [NOLA.COM]

Men Accused of Sexual Misconduct Are Still Benefitting From Their Restaurants [E]

Alon Shaya Says Besh Restaurant Group Fired Him for Speaking Out About Sexual Harassment Allegations [E]

Tracking Alon Shaya’s Split From John Besh [E]

Tracking the John Besh Sexual Harassment Allegations [E]