lawsuit over – A real estate company is suing Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, along with former MLB player Adam LaRoche, claiming they stopped paying rent and “abruptly” closed their Nashville steakhouse. The case seeks more than $1.4 million in damages, with a court hearing se
The message on the E3 Chophouse Nashville website went up on Tuesday, June 23: “Nashville − we’re hitting pause.” The public-facing wording said the team was “temporarily pausing operations” while it evaluated what the city “needs next.”
Behind the scenes, the closing has turned into a legal fight. Village 21 Investment Partners LLC has sued country music stars Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan and former MLB player Adam LaRoche, seeking more than $1.4 million in damages over the shutdown of their Nashville restaurant.
In a lawsuit filed in Davidson County Circuit Court, the company argues the trio defaulted on their lease agreement. The complaint says they previously operated a restaurant called E3 Chophouse but “stopped paying the monthly rent and abruptly closed the restaurant” in February.
E3 Chophouse was located in the city’s Hillsboro Village neighborhood. The restaurant opened in 2019 and is described as one of two E3 Chophouse locations tied to LaRoche. The other location is in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, owned by LaRoche and his brothers Jeff and Andy, and opened in 2013.
The Nashville website post did not address rent or the legal dispute. It said the restaurant was “temporarily pausing operations as we evaluate what Nashville needs next. ” adding that the team was “assessing market opportunities and exploring potential rebrand and reconcept strategies” for the future of the Hillsboro Village location.
The three defendants are also connected beyond the business venture. LaRoche became friends with Bryan more than two decades ago after attending one of Bryan’s music gigs in Atlanta. Later. LaRoche introduced himself to Aldean after Aldean performed the national anthem at an Atlanta Braves game; the men became friends and hunting buddies. as previously described.
A hearing in the civil case is set for Friday, June 26, according to online court records. The stakes are clear in the numbers alone: Village 21 Investment Partners LLC is asking for more than $1.4 million in damages tied to what it says was a lease default and an abrupt closure.
Attorneys for the defendants have not publicly detailed how they plan to respond to the claims in the complaint. Court proceedings will determine whether the dispute is ultimately resolved as a contractual breakdown over rent—or treated differently based on the circumstances around the closure that the restaurant itself characterized as a pause and a rethinking of its direction.
Luke Bryan Jason Aldean Adam LaRoche Village 21 Investment Partners E3 Chophouse Nashville Davidson County Circuit Court Nashville steakhouse lawsuit lease default monthly rent Hillsboro Village Steamboat Springs