The taste of success has turned sour in the ongoing legal drama involving Houston's Trill Burgers. The eatery, co-founded by local rapper Bun B, is embroiled in a feud with two of its original partners, Patsy and Benson Vivares. A lawsuit filed by Trill Burgers accuses the siblings of misappropriating $45,000 of the company's earnings, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. However, the tables have turned with the Vivareses filing a countersuit, alleging that the concept and recipe for their smashburger were stolen by Bun B and other associates.
In a January petition, the Vivares' lawyer Walter Beard made it clear, stating, "Trill Burgers was not Bun B's idea, nor was it the result of his sweat, equity, or ingenuity," as cited by the Houston Chronicle. The Vivares siblings claim that the bustling burger business owes its success to their ingenuity and are seeking to reclaim their purported share. The lawsuit alleges that the siblings diverted funds from Trill Burgers' profits at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to save their failing Sticky's Chicken venture.
Charles Adams, Bun B's attorney, sees the legal battle as akin to a "divorce of business partners" and vehemently denies any wrongdoing by his client. On the other side, the Vivareses contend with the charges, insisting they are still the rightful co-owners of the business. According to an interview with Chron, Saad Aziz, one of their attorneys, upholds the siblings' origins of the Trill Burger concept, asserting that "They are the ones who kind of came up with the specifics of the smashburger ... now called the OG Trill Burger."
The legal dispute extends to the contribution of Sticky's former chef Mike Pham, as the Vivareses claim the current Trill Burgers team poached him, according to Aziz and Beard's statement obtained by Chron. Trill Burgers' representatives have denied these allegations and emphasize that employment changes are part of the industry's nature. Despite the courtroom battle, Trill Burgers continues to thrive, attracting celebrities like Drake and Shaquille O'Neal, its popularity undiminished by the dispute. The next hearing is expected to elaborate further on the Vivares' counterclaims and is scheduled for the end of April.
