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Woes Deepen for Coolidge Corner Pizzeria [POLL]

Upper Crust executives and founder engaged in bitter dispute.

 

Upper Crust’s woes have reached new heights with court filings showing its co-owners claiming each other has used company money for personal gain, according to Boston.com. 

The details on the split are revealed in legal documents filed by co-owners Joshua Huggard and Brendan Higgins as well as co-founder Jordan Tobins, according to Boston.com. In April, Tobins was accused of spending money on, among other things, a $700,000 yacht. The company is already under federal investigation for labor violations

Upper Crust has locations in Waltham, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Lexington, South End, Watertown, Wellesley and West Roxbury, according to its website. Earlier this year, the Salem and Beverly Upper Crust locations closed.

As a result of the dispute, Tobins has been placed on administrative leave, according to Boston.com and claimed the co-owners have illegally taken control of the firm. Tobin’s denies the claims.

For additional details, see the Boston.com story.

The co-owners, in the documents filed in April, accused Tobins of using $750,000 of company money for personal use, including purchasing an airplane, as well as for trips to Nantucket and the Cayman Islands, according to Boston.com He is also accused of paying his wife with company money despite her not being an employee. 

The lawsuit also lists Tobin’s wife, Stefany, for allegedly receiving the payments and the company’s chief financial officer, David Marcus, for listing Tobin’s personal expenses as business charges, according to Boston.com.

The bitter dispute is the latest chapter in the company’s recent woes. Federal authorities are investigating whether the company harbored and exploited illegal immigrant workers, according to Boston.com Two former workers at the company have filed a lawsuit claiming Upper Crust garnished overtime pay the Department of Justice ordered the firm to pay after a federal wage investigation., according to Boston.com.

  • Do questionable business practices keep you from visiting Upper Crust Pizzeria?

    (Voting has been closed for this question)
    • Yes, once I heard they weren't treating employees well I stopped eating their pies.
        44 (55%)
    • Yes, I didn't know there were any problems until now, but now that I'm aware I won't go there.
        12 (15%)
    • No, I like their pizza, and I don't think these issues warrant any kind of boycott.
        11 (13%)
    • Other: see my answer in the comments.
        12 (15%)
    Total votes: 79
  • Your vote will only count once. This is not a scientific poll. View Results Vote!
Related Topics: Brookline Business, Upper Crust, Upper Crust Brookline, Upper Crust Coolidge Corner, Upper Crust labor violations, and Upper Crust lawsuit

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