The Gas Monkey Bar and Grill lawsuit was a pair of competing claims between managing partner Daniel Flaherty and Fast N’ Loud star Richard Rawlings that ran from 2018 to 2021. Flaherty sued Rawlings for $6 million over defamation and contract interference; Rawlings countersued for $1 million over trademark infringement. Both sides settled in August 2021 and jointly dismissed all claims. Rawlings kept the Gas Monkey name, and the Dallas venue rebranded as Amplified.
Flaherty’s $6 Million Defamation Suit
On June 14, 2018, Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill and Flaherty filed suit in Dallas County against Rawlings, his production company Pilgrim Films and Television, and Gas Monkey Holdings. The complaint sought $6 million and accused Rawlings of defamation and “deliberate and deceitful attempts” to breach or exit his contract with the bar.1Dallas Morning News. Gas Monkey Bar Files $6M Defamation Suit Against Founder and TV Star Richard Rawlings
At the heart of the case were Rawlings’ repeated statements that Flaherty was stealing from him. According to the suit, Rawlings made those accusations while a third-party buyer was finalizing a deal to acquire both Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill and the adjoining Gas Monkey Live music hall, and the buyer walked away as a result.1Dallas Morning News. Gas Monkey Bar Files $6M Defamation Suit Against Founder and TV Star Richard Rawlings Flaherty also alleged Rawlings had run a “campaign of half-baked accusations” and slander against the bar.2Dallas Observer. After a Lawsuit and Rebuilding, Gas Monkey Garage Bar and Grill Is Now Amplified
The suit added that Rawlings and Pilgrim Films had explored a competing “Gas Monkey-themed entertainment venue” in Connecticut, which Flaherty called a misappropriation of the bar’s concept.1Dallas Morning News. Gas Monkey Bar Files $6M Defamation Suit Against Founder and TV Star Richard Rawlings
Rawlings’ $1 Million Trademark Countersuit
Rawlings’ attorney, Austin Champion, called Flaherty’s claims “fabricated” and said the bar had been “in breach of our license agreement since Day 1,” describing the defamation case as a “last-ditch effort to try to get back the license.”1Dallas Morning News. Gas Monkey Bar Files $6M Defamation Suit Against Founder and TV Star Richard Rawlings3TV Shows Ace. Fast N’ Loud Season 15: When Will Richard Rawlings Return
In early 2019, Rawlings and the Fast N’ Loud production company filed a countersuit in Dallas County seeking $1 million for copyright and trademark infringement. Their position was that the 2013 licensing agreement had automatically terminated and the bar was still using the Gas Monkey name, logos, and trademarks without permission. The countersuit pointed to an unauthorized promotional deal with Jameson Whiskey and to burlesque and body-painting events that Rawlings called “disparaging, lewd and sexually suggestive.”4Dallas Morning News. Is Dallas’ Famous Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill Operating Illegally? That’s the $1 Million Question5NBC DFW. Is Dallas’ Famous Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill Operating Illegally?
In February 2019, Gas Monkey Holdings sent Flaherty a cease-and-desist letter demanding the bar stop using the Gas Monkey and Gas Monkey Garage names and all associated trademarks within ten days.4Dallas Morning News. Is Dallas’ Famous Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill Operating Illegally? That’s the $1 Million Question
The August 2021 Settlement
In August 2021, both sides reached a settlement and jointly dismissed all claims.6Classic Industries. Richard Rawlings and the Jail Rumors: What Auto Fans Need to Know2Dallas Observer. After a Lawsuit and Rebuilding, Gas Monkey Garage Bar and Grill Is Now Amplified The financial terms were not made public. What is public is the practical result: Rawlings kept the Gas Monkey name and trademarks, and the venue agreed to stop using them. Neither side acknowledged fault.
What Happened to the Venue
The Technology Boulevard location relaunched as Amplified with a grand opening on October 5, 2021. Managing partner Alex Mendonsa said the change was “a rebuilding” rather than a name swap, adding: “Richard is taking the name, and it gives us the freedom to move forward.”7CultureMap Dallas. Gas Monkey Bar and Grill Rebrands as Amplified The venue’s website carried a notice that it “is not affiliated with Gas Monkey Garage, the Gas Monkey Brand or Richard Rawlings.”2Dallas Observer. After a Lawsuit and Rebuilding, Gas Monkey Garage Bar and Grill Is Now Amplified
Amplified didn’t last long at that address. The property was sold in February 2023 to a buyer planning a non-music use, and Amplified held its final show on March 31, 2023. Mendonsa said the closure was “a situational thing with the property going away” and that the team was searching for a new space.8Dallas Observer. Amplified Live Will Close This Friday9CultureMap Dallas. Amplified Live Closing
Rawlings held onto the Gas Monkey brand and eventually returned to the restaurant business under it. Gas Monkey Icehouse, a roughly 13,000-square-foot restaurant and bar at Grandscape in The Colony, Texas, opened for dinner on May 6, 2025.10Dallas Observer. Richard Rawlings’ New Gas Monkey Icehouse Opens North of Dallas There are no known active lawsuits tied to the original dispute or to the new location.6Classic Industries. Richard Rawlings and the Jail Rumors: What Auto Fans Need to Know