Jean C. Denoyer, the owner of upscale French restaurant La Goulue – located at 29 East 61st Street – is being sued by an investor of his Palm Beach location, which opened in October 2020, Page Six reports.
La Goulue’s Upper East Side location (Google Maps)
The investor claims Denoyer “‘fraudulently’ induced him into investing $450,000,” failing to disclose debts, unpaid bills and “pending litigation.”
The lawsuit also claims that Denoyer had frequent temper tantrums leading to bad decisions, and that he would frequently reserve the best table for himself and order “large and expensive amounts of food and wine and in a loud public display ‘hold Court,'” ultimately costing his own restaurant $8,000 per month, according to Page Six. This ego-driven behavior allegedly caused some of the restaurant’s employees to quit.
“This lawsuit is entirely without merit,” an attorney for Denoyer told Page Six. “It appears to be designed to take advantage of the pandemic to gain control of La Goulue Palm Beach and squeeze Mr. Denoyer out of a business he has built over the past 50 years. Mr. Denoyer will respond in more detail in the due course of the lawsuit.”
