It's not all primo pizzas and nude waitresses at Roberta's. A dramatic legal battle has unfolded between the three owners of the Clinton-approved hot spot that includes emergency court orders and millions of dollars in pizza and mesh tank profits. Can we just blame the Times?
It all begins with the ousting of Chris Parachini—one of the three original co-founders along with Carlo Mirarchi and Brandon Hoy—in December. According to the Post, Parachini was offered $2 million for his 25% share of the company, which he turned down to demand $2.9 for his stake in the company plus an additional $2.5 million in intellectual property. A projection by Parachini estimates Roberta's will rake in $10 to $15 million in the next decade just with the NYC outpost, not including potential plans for an Asian spinoff and a deal with the Ace Hotel. Yeah, now you know.
If the money battles weren't enough intrigue, Parachini allegedly showed up unbidden at the eatery in December, "telling staff he was the ‘boss’ an ‘owner’ and they had to listen to him," an affidavit states. The other partners say they were compelled to get an emergency order from the Manhattan Supreme Court to keep Parachini out when cops wouldn't get involved. "We are concerned that this will end in a physical altercation before the police will take any action, based on the prior history with Mr. Parachini and his erratic behavior," Hoy explained.
All three will be in court in March to hash out the details; Hoy and Mirarchi are bringing 15 Roberta's employees to testify against Parachini. If that doesn't work they could always let nature handle it.
