In a legal battle involving the Trump Burger Kemah restaurant, landlord Archie Patterson has filed a lawsuit against the former tenant and restaurant owner. Patterson’s company, 409 Bradford LLC, filed the lawsuit in Galveston County on Tuesday, seeking repayment for several fees his company covered on behalf of the business.
The lawsuit targets Trump Burger Kemah LCC, as well as lease guarantors Roland Beainy, Barton Blakelock, and Tony White.
Alleged Failure to Pay Fees
The core of Patterson’s lawsuit centers on the claim that the guarantors failed to reimburse him for various fees that his company had paid on their behalf. These payments were for utilities, beverage taxes for both April and May, property repairs, and payroll taxes.
Patterson alleges that Trump Burger Kemah had difficulties with its operations and had asked for financial help, which his company provided. However, according to the lawsuit, the defendants did not fulfill their obligations to repay the fees as agreed.
Change of Name and Ongoing Dispute
In a twist, Patterson has renamed the restaurant to MAGA Burger USA, following the legal dispute. This comes after Trump Burger Kemah filed its own lawsuit in neighboring Harris County, accusing Patterson of forcibly removing the restaurant’s owners and staff from the premises on June 7.
According to Trump Burger Kemah, this removal happened after Patterson attempted to have one of the restaurant’s owners, Tony White, agree to a new lease addendum in April.
Controversial Lease Addendum
The proposed lease addendum was reportedly added just months after Trump Burger Kemah signed a five-year lease for the property. The addendum would have required a total of $125,000 in payments over the course of 12 months.
The addendum, however, did not include certain assets like bar equipment, the liquor license, or any of the alcohol on the premises.
Trump Burger’s Response
Geoffrey Binney, the attorney representing Trump Burger Kemah, referred to Patterson’s lawsuit as improper and criticized it for being an attempt to “forum shop.”
Binney stated that the claims made in the lawsuit should have been filed as counterclaims in their own lawsuit. His team is preparing documentation to get Patterson’s suit dismissed.
Property Owner’s Statement
In response to the ongoing controversy, a spokesperson for Patterson addressed the situation in an online statement. The spokesperson insisted that there was no illegal or hostile takeover.
Instead, they described the situation as a “lease enforcement action” that followed multiple concerns regarding the compliance with the lease terms. Patterson’s company took legal steps only after repeated attempts to resolve the situation amicably had failed.
Other Trump Burger Locations
Apart from the Kemah location, there are three other Trump Burger restaurants in Texas, located in Houston, Bellville, and Flatonia. The outcome of the ongoing lawsuits could have significant implications for these locations as well.
