Henderson Castle Food Lawsuit: Review, Retaliation, Inspection

A Kalamazoo customer has filed a Henderson Castle lawsuit in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court alleging the historic Michigan bed and breakfast retaliated against him after he posted a one-star Google review of its restaurant. James Adams claims that after his September 2025 review of H Prime Chophouse, people connected to Henderson Castle identified his employer and then posted negative reviews and filed a Better Business Bureau complaint targeting him and his company.¹

What the Review Said

Adams posted the review on September 16, 2025, writing that he had found a “caterpillar or worm” in his broccoli at H Prime Chophouse, the restaurant inside Henderson Castle.¹ Two days later, someone with access to the castle’s Google Business Profile replied, accusing him of harassment and writing, “Reviews go both ways.”²

The Retaliation Allegations

The complaint alleges Henderson Castle employees went further than a public reply. According to the lawsuit, they searched for Adams’ identity, located his employer, Infinity Home Improvements Inc., and then posted negative Google reviews and filed a BBB complaint aimed at both Adams and the company. The BBB complaint reportedly said Adams “gave inaccurate reviews and harassed our business repeatedly” and warned that “this can go both ways.”¹ The specific dollar amount Adams is seeking has not been publicly disclosed.

Who Is Being Sued

Adams, represented by attorney Philip Hamilton, named three defendants: the Henderson Castle Foundation, the nonprofit that owns the property; executive director Francois Moyet; and Andrea Toliver.¹

Toliver’s role is contested. Moyet described her as head of an outside event company hired to run castle events, with duties that included flagging reviews the business considered fake or inaccurate. Toliver, by contrast, said in an email that she is “not employed by Henderson Castle in any capacity,” and denied intentionally posting “any false, misleading, or harmful reviews about anyone.”¹ Moyet said she was on leave at the time of the reporting.

Moyet denied that Henderson Castle retaliates against customers, while acknowledging the business actively challenges reviews it considers false. “When they do not do the right thing, we are telling them there is a law… and we have every intention to protect the reputation of the Castle,” he told MLive.¹ He said he was not aware of Toliver leaving reviews in retaliation for Adams’ post.

Health Inspection Findings

The lawsuit brought new attention to Henderson Castle’s food safety record. An inspection on May 6, 2025, identified seven violations, including mold observed on food, improperly stored food, and morel mushrooms in the kitchen sourced from an unspecified location and not verified by a mushroom identification expert. A follow-up inspection days later confirmed all seven violations had been corrected. Available reporting does not indicate that the castle’s food service license was suspended, revoked, or otherwise formally affected by the May findings.³

Where the Case Stands

As of early December 2025, the two sides were in settlement talks. “Our attorney is negotiating with his attorney for him to let it go,” Moyet told MLive.¹ No resolution or further court filings have been reported since.