The Fat Cow
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| The Fat Cow | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1 October 2012 |
| Closed | 27 March 2014 |
| Chef | Gordon Ramsay |
| Location | 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036, United States |
The Fat Cow was a restaurant owned and run by chef Gordon Ramsay and his business partner, Rowen Seibel. It opened in 2012 at The Grove shopping centre in Los Angeles, and after a series of legal challenges, it closed permanently in 2014. The menu was described by Ramsay as one you might expect to find in a "neighborhood restaurant."[1]
Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay trademarked the name "The Fat Cow" in the UK in 2011, leading to speculation that he was about to open a chain of mid-priced steak and barbecue restaurants.[2] Prior to its opening in the United States, it was publicised as partially following this concept with Ramsay describing it as "a place where people can just relax and enjoy a delicious European inspired meal".[3]
The Fat Cow opened on 1 October 2012,[1] located in The Grove shopping centre in Los Angeles as a joint venture between Ramsay and his business partner Rowen Seibel.[4] The head chef at the time of opening was Mathew Woolf,[1] while Andi Van Willigan was involved in setting up the restaurant as part of her position as Gordon Ramsay Holdings Corporate Executive U.S. Chef.[5] It marked the second time that Ramsay had opened a restaurant in Los Angeles after Gordon Ramsay at The London.[1] The restaurant was fitted out with communal tables, and decorated with reclaimed wood and unfinished metal.[6] The design was created by Interior Design firm AK DESIGN NETWORK.[5]
A year after opening, Ramsay was sued by the contractors he used to fit out the restaurant over an unpaid bill of $45,350.35 out of $191,235.24.[7] A few months later a class action lawsuit was brought by the employees of the restaurant over his failure to pay minimum wage, give sufficient breaks, and pay overtime.[8]
The restaurant was closed on 27 March 2014, amid a legal dispute over the name.[9] The owner of a Spanish restaurant in Florida, Las Vacas Gordas, was said to have exclusive use of the name,[4] and required Ramsay's Fat Cow to be closed or renamed.[9] Following the closure, Seibel launched a legal claim against Ramsay for $10 million, saying that the chef had attempted to close the restaurant down and re-open it under a new name with the original staff in an effort to cut him out of the deal.[4] It was claimed that Ramsay had known about the trademark issue since opening the restaurant, and had intended to rename it to GR Roast.[10]
In addition, the landlord of The Grove shopping centre launched an action against Ramsay for $6 million in unpaid rent on a long-term lease of $52,000 a month.[4] Ramsay's representatives issued a statement to the press over the rent issue, saying that "It's the unfortunate, but inevitable normal procedure following the closure of a restaurant."[11]
Menu
The menu was intended to be more casual than some of Ramsay's other restaurants. He said that "The concept for The Fat Cow came from my desire to have a neighborhood restaurant that you could go to all the time to just relax and enjoy a terrific meal".[1] Ingredients were to be sourced seasonally and using the farmers' market next door to the restaurant.[6] Dishes included salads, pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven, a Kobe beef burger, and lobster macaroni and cheese.[1] There was also a separate ice-cream bar, serving soft-serve and ice-cream sandwiches.[6]
