Restaurant partners in court battle WSOC TV [Video]

CHARLOTTE — A handshake-deal gone wrong has pitted these restaurant partners against each other in court. Restaurateur Patrick Whalen and Charlotte-based CU SOBE LLC have filed a complaint against Michael Tuttle in North Carolina Business Court.

Tuttle, a Davidson resident, has invested in four of Whalen’s restaurant concepts — Church and Union locations in Nashville, Tennessee, and Denver, Colorado, La Belle Helene in uptown Charlotte and Ophelia’s Bar + Pizza in Nashville. Tuttle committed to making a $2 million investment in an upcoming, Miami-based venture called CU SOBE — but those have funds failed to materialize, according to court documents.

Whalen and CU SOBE allege breach of contract, breach of the operating agreement, fraud and unfair and deceptive trade practices in the initial court complaint. The filing states private mediation resulted in a settlement memorandum between the parties in April. Tuttle has failed to meet the terms of the settlement, …