A real estate company is seeking to amend a lawsuit over the abrupt closure of E3 Chophouse in Nashville, adding breach-of-lease-guaranty claims involving Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, and MLB player Adam LaRoche.
A restaurant built on the promise of fine dining in Nashville shut its doors without warning—and now the fallout is heading back into court.
Village 21 Investment Partners is asking a judge to amend an existing lawsuit involving MLB player Adam LaRoche and country stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. tied to the sudden closure of their Nashville restaurant. E3 Chophouse. at 1628 21st Avenue South. The amended filing seeks $1.4 million, after the company moved to revise its original complaint.
The original lawsuit was filed in Davidson County General Session Court by the Brentwood-based GBT Realty Corporation. Village 21’s request now comes as the court case expands the company’s claims after the restaurant stopped operating.
E3 Chophouse bills itself as a “high end, service-driven, fine dining chophouse.” The concept has a separate original location operating in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, owned by LaRoche and his family.
In the restaurant’s own account of how the Nashville location came together, Aldean and Bryan “talked for years” about opening their own spot in the city. That plan, the website says, became real in the latter part of 2019.
But the amended lawsuit claims the relationship with the lease ended when the payments stopped. In February, the filing alleges, the men “stopped paying the monthly rent and abruptly closed the restaurant and ceased operations.”
On the E3 Chophouse Nashville website. the message to diners was blunt: “Nashville — we’re hitting pause.” It added. “We’re temporarily pausing operations as we evaluate what Nashville needs next. Our team is assessing market opportunities and exploring potential rebrand and re-concept strategies for the future of this location.”.
Village 21 says the real cause was a default under the lease agreement. With the amendment, the company is seeking to add an additional claim for breach of the lease guaranty.
“The Guarantors [Bryan. Aldean and LaRoche] guaranteed the performance of Tenant’s obligations under the Lease. including the payment of rent. and agreed to pay the damages. liabilities. and costs. including attorneys’ fees. provided under the Lease resulting from Tenant’s default. ” the amended complaint says.
A judge is expected to hear the motion to amend the company’s complaint on July 10 at 9 a.m.
E3 Chophouse Nashville Luke Bryan sued Jason Aldean sued Adam LaRoche lawsuit Village 21 Investment Partners lease guaranty Davidson County General Session Court $1.4 million