2 Chainz To Expand Restaurant Business After Settling Lawsuit With Pablo Escobar’s Family
2 Chainz To Expand Restaurant Business After Settling Lawsuit With Pablo Escobar’s Family
2 Chainz officially plans to expand his Esco Restaurant and Tapas chain after settling a lawsuit with the family of late notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The Atlanta rapper, who launched the first of three Escobar Restaurant And Tapas locations in Georgia in 2016, credited his business partner Mychel “Snoop” Dillard with assisting him in launching the endeavor. 2 Chainz previously told sources,
“[Dillard’s] one of the people that really made my transition into this hospitality space easier because originally my introduction to the space was real estate. I own properties and dirt and stuff like that. So that merged with her passion and mine and made me very comfortable in this space going on six years now.”
While things were looking good for the two restaurant owners, in June 2020, both 2 Chainz and Dillard were hit with a lawsuit by Escobar Inc.– a company established by Escobar’s brother. The suit was filed in the state of Georgia and accused Escobar Restaurant And Tapas of using Pablo Escobar’s name and likeness at each of its locations, as well as on its websites, social media accounts, and merchandise. Escobar Inc., which also filed an injunction against 2 Chainz and Dillard, sought out $10 million in damages due to the restaurant’s usage of Escobar’s intellectual property.
Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and narco terrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed “the king of cocaine”, Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in history, having amassed an estimated net worth of US$30 billion by the time of his death in 1993, equivalent to $70 billion as of 2022. His drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In November 2020, 2 Chainz, Dillard, and Escobar Inc. began settlement talks, with both sides ultimately deciding to settle out of court. Escobar Inc. received a reported $15,000 from 2 Chainz and Dillard under the terms of the agreement.
Esco Restaurant and Tapas‘ first franchisee has recently signed on to open additional locations in Dallas, TX and Memphis, TN.
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