Buzzfeed Digs Into Alma Lawsuit, Questions Why Owners Are Asking for Public Money

More news on the Alma front, as the Downtown tasting-menu restaurant surpasses its $40,000 crowdfunding goal with more than three weeks remaining — thanks to the support of people like Alison Brie and James Franco, among others.

Buzzfeed News has dug into the details of the lawsuit that first spurred the fundraising campaign, after a former potential business partner and advisor took to court alleging that Ari Taymor and Ashleigh Parsons had reneged on a deal to give away a 20% stake in Alma in favor of ongoing help (including some loans) from one Michael Price.

According to Buzzfeed News, which sent a reporter down to the court house to review documents in person, there’s a lot more going on in the background of the suit, from back-and-forth (mostly verbal) agreements and emails to some of Alma’s own apparent business failings, like improperly paid taxes and a lease debacle that had them paying twice for the same space.

One interesting tidbit: the suit has been modified since it first came to light, and now only includes Taymor and Parsons — not the restaurant itself, which means the popular Downtown eatery is, hypothetically at least, shielded somewhat from whatever blows this court case might rain down.

The whole article is worth a read, if only as a cautionary tale for anyone who wants to jump into the restaurant industry.