Guy Fieri Lawsuit: Cooper’s Chicken Guy! Franchise Case Ended

The Guy Fieri Chicken Guy lawsuit was a breach-of-contract case filed in June 2025 by chef Kevin Cooper, who won the Food Network competition Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime and said the prize he was promised — a franchise build-out, a first-year salary, and coverage of operating losses — never fully materialized. Cooper sued Chicken Guy LLC and Earl Enterprises LLC in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He voluntarily dismissed the case four months later, in October 2025.¹²

What Cooper Says He Won

Cooper, a Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania chef who goes by “Chef Steek,” won Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime in early 2022. According to his complaint, the grand prize package included a Chicken Guy! franchise with all franchise fees waived, a full build-out of the space at the company’s expense, a guaranteed $100,000 salary for the first year, coverage of any operational expenses that exceeded the franchise’s revenue during that first year, and a $10,000 stipend for franchise-related legal fees.³

The Franchise Opened, Then Closed

Cooper opened his Chicken Guy! location at the King of Prussia Mall on February 8, 2024, the chain’s twelfth store at the time.⁴ It closed roughly a year later, on February 23, 2025.⁵

In between, according to the lawsuit, Cooper was left paying costs he says the defendants had agreed to cover. The complaint points to nearly $39,000 in Pennsylvania sales tax and additional business-services expenses that together came to roughly $69,000.⁶ Cooper also alleges he took out a $13,500 personal loan to cover costs he attributes to delays on the defendants’ end.²

The Complaint

Cooper filed on June 27, 2025 in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case was captioned Cooper et al v. Chicken Guy LLC et al, No. 2:25-cv-03271, and assigned to Judge Gerald A. McHugh.¹ The named defendants are Chicken Guy LLC and Earl Enterprises LLC. Guy Fieri is not personally named.²

The single legal theory is breach of contract. Cooper alleges he entered an enforceable agreement as the show’s winner and that the defendants failed to honor it. He sought $100,000 for the guaranteed first-year salary and $68,933.26 in reimbursement for expenses he says the companies were obligated to cover.³

Neither the companies nor Fieri’s representatives responded publicly to press inquiries. USA Today reported that it contacted representatives for Fieri and the Chicken Guy! brand on July 2, 2025 and received no reply.³ Fieri posted to Instagram on July 1 from a family trip to Sicily without addressing the filing.⁷

How the Case Ended

Cooper filed a notice of voluntary dismissal on October 21, 2025, and the case was terminated that same day.¹ No public explanation accompanied the filing, and neither side has disclosed whether a settlement was reached. A voluntary dismissal can reflect a private resolution, a strategic decision, or a plaintiff choosing not to continue, and the court record does not say which applies here.

About Chicken Guy! and Earl Enterprises

Chicken Guy! is a fast-casual chicken-tender chain co-founded by Fieri and restaurateur Robert Earl. The first location opened at Disney Springs in Orlando, and the brand has grown to roughly 18 locations in casinos, stadiums, malls, and airports.⁸ Earl founded and chairs Earl Enterprises, whose portfolio also includes Planet Hollywood, Buca di Beppo, and Earl of Sandwich.⁹

1
PACER Monitor. Cooper et al v. Chicken Guy LLC et al
2
NBC News. Guy Fieri Reality Show Winner Files Lawsuit Alleging Breach of Contract
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USA Today. Guy Fieri Lawsuit Chicken Guy
4
Delaware County Daily Times. Drexel Hill Chef Hungry for Success Opens Chicken Guy Restaurant
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Fox 8. Guy Fieri’s Restaurant Sued by Former Food Network Contestant
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PhillyMag. Guy Fieri Lawsuit Chicken Guy Delco
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Yahoo Entertainment. Guy Fieri Breaks Silence on Lawsuit
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Chicken Guy. Our Story
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Robert Earl. Robert Earl Official Site