Daniel Kuhlman, owner of Wild Catch, responds to Justin Brunson's claims

"Literally, I'd never heard of any of these charges until I read your story," says Daniel Kuhlman, the owner of Wild Catch, which abruptly shuttered on Saturday, when co-owner/chef Justin Brunson, along with his staff, walked out the door following a meeting the day before between Brunson and Kuhlman that...

By Lori Midson

November 21, 2011

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"Literally, I'd never heard of any of these charges until I read your story," says Daniel Kuhlman, the owner of Wild Catch, which abruptly shuttered on Saturday, when co-owner/chef Justin Brunson, along with his staff, walked out the door following a meeting the day before between Brunson and Kuhlman that ended anything but amicably.

"I mean it: Justin never told me any of this," insists Kuhlman, alluding to Brunson's allegations that Kuhlman refused to reveal the restaurant's financials, among other things. "He never once asked me to see them," contends Kuhlman.

And that's about all he'll say about his and Brunson's former partnership that landed on the rocks this past weekend, leaving Wild Catch high and dry. "Suffice it to say that there are enough errors in Justin's accusations that my attorney has advised me not to use this platform as a public forum," explains Kuhlman.

But he will say this: "We're definitely going to reopen Wild Catch as the same concept -- a sustainably harvested seafood restaurant, and we're talking to a lot of really qualified chefs who can help us continue what we started."

He hopes to have Wild Catch open again between November 30 and December 2.

We'll continue to keep you updated.

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