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Chef Sues Fieri’s Chicken Guy Over Unpaid Salary and Expenses

Cooper alleges Chicken Guy LLC and Earl Enterprises failed to honor his six-figure salary guarantee, leaving him responsible for about $69,000 in expenses after his franchise closed

August, 30, 2018; Disney Springs, FL, USA; Chef Guy Fieri was at Chicken Guy! at Disney Springs Monday for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
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Guy Fieri at the opening of his new restaurant "Chicken Guy!" in Times Square on Feb. 26, 2025, in New York City.
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Overview

  • Kevin Cooper filed a breach of contract lawsuit on June 27 in federal court in Philadelphia against Chicken Guy LLC and Earl Enterprises LLC.
  • He alleges the contract guaranteed a $100,000 first-year salary, waived franchise fees, a $10,000 legal stipend and full build-out and operational support for his Chicken Guy franchise.
  • Cooper’s restaurant at King of Prussia Mall opened in February 2024 and closed in late February 2025 after he says the promised support never materialized.
  • The lawsuit seeks a judgment for the full $100,000 salary and about $68,933 in unpaid operational expenses tied to the failed franchise.
  • Chicken Guy!, created by Guy Fieri and Robert Earl in 2018 and now operating 19 U.S. locations, has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.