Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith’s Las Vegas restaurant, slated to grace the iconic Strip in 2022, has unfortunately hit a roadblock.
Two years after Smith announced his plans to launch a culinary venture, the doors still remain closed.
Well, it turns out that a recent lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court on Monday has revealed a behind-the-scenes turmoil that threatens to further delay the grand opening.
According to the lawsuit, iconic Chef, Rainer Schwarz alleges that the partners he was collaborating with conspired to seize the opportunity to run Emmitt’s for themselves, effectively cutting his group out of the venture entirely.
Emmitt’s Las Vegas, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame member, was announced in December 2021 for Fashion Show mall. Almost two years later, the restaurant is still not open.https://t.co/lM4OWNh08T
— Las Vegas Review-Journal (@reviewjournal) August 15, 2023
Additionally, Trilogy F&B Group LLC, a key player in the restaurant’s conception, finds itself at the heart of this legal tussle. The company, along with Schwarz’s entity, inked a promising operating agreement back in October 2021.
Adding another layer of complexity, Valley Water Mill LLC, a minority owner of Trilogy, stands as one of the defendants in the lawsuit.
Fast forward to May 2023, allegations have emerged suggesting that the locks of Emmitt’s were intentionally changed, barring not just Schwarz himself but also other key players from accessing the premises.
Central to the lawsuit’s claims, a series of maneuvers were executed that not only transferred Trilogy’s lease unlawfully to Valley Water Mill but also established a new corporate entity to supplant Chef Rainer LLC. Disturbingly, this allegedly included engaging alternative vendors and contractors without authorization.
As per the lawsuit, Chef Rainer LLC has reportedly encountered a staggering $2.2 million in costs linked to the establishment’s opening.
He would also set to enjoy financial gains through the venture, with a contractual arrangement outlining an annual base salary of $450,000.
The agreement also stipulated that the company would be entitled to a two percent share of events’ gross ticket sales, coupled with an additional 4 percent slice of gross sales stemming from F&B operations at Emmitt’s.
These terms were projected to potentially yield a jaw-dropping total of $67 million in financial setbacks.
