Audio By Carbonatix
Jamawn Woods isn’t the only one blaming Denver-based Chipotle for the spectacular failure of his three Soul Daddy restaurants, which closed just weeks after the Detroit resident landed the grand prize on reality-TV show America’s Next Great Restaurant. Steve Ells’s fellow panelist and investor, Bobby Flay, is also pointing the finger at the burrito-monger.
“It was just an unfortunate thing…once the show was over, it was really out of our hands. Chipotle was running it,” the TV loudmouth personality told Eater in an interview.
The sentiment echoes Woods’s accusations that Chipotle handed over crappy management teams to get Soul Daddy up and running and then didn’t stay on for the year it had committed to.
Chipotle maintains that the investor group decided to shut down Soul Daddy after it generated “significant negative cash flows.”
Will you step up to support Westword this year?
At Westword, we’re small and scrappy — and we make the most of every dollar from our supporters. Right now, we’re $21,500 away from reaching our December 31 goal of $50,000. If you’ve ever learned something new, stayed informed, or felt more connected because of Westword, now’s the time to give back.
Flay also told Eater that he’d heard Woods was planning on opening a restaurant in Detroit. Chipotle will probably be happy when America’s Next Great Restaurant is part of the distant past.
Follow @CafeWestword on Twitter and at facebook.com/denvercafesociety
