FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2025 filing

South Philly Steaks & Fries / South Philly Cheesesteaks & Fries litigation history

What South Philly Steaks & Fries / South Philly Cheesesteaks & Fries disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 3 lists the material legal actions a franchisor must report; Item 4 covers bankruptcy. This is the franchisor's own disclosure, not a court record, and not legal advice.

Items 3 (litigation) & 4 (bankruptcy) at a glance

What the filing discloses

Cases disclosed: 9; Item 3, as counted in the filing

Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases: None stated

Bankruptcy (Item 4): Disclosed · an officer; Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer

Filing year: 2025; Disclosures cover the prior ten years

Extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document

Item 3: litigation

Item 3 discloses: (1) Ameream LLC v. Villa Pizza Enterprises (affiliate lease dispute, dismissed in affiliate's favor Aug 2024); (2) trademark infringement suit EYB v. Jonathan Rollo/Greenleaf (EYB plaintiff, settled/dismissed); three unpaid-royalty franchise collection suits by EYB/Villa as plaintiff (Fast Casual Enterprises - default judgment $239,544.78; 1314 Food Services - settled; Asif Shahzad/Taco Jersey Green - settled); and four former-affiliate (R&S Ventures) landlord judgments for nonpayment of rent (Mayfair WI $37,930.52; DeBartolo OH $18,463.15; Centermark CA $143,609.06; W.G. Park PA $19,512.00). "Other than the above, no litigation is required to be disclosed."

Item 3 (litigation) · 9 matters disclosed

Litigation cases

The franchisor

Concluded (4)

Everything Yogurt Brands, LLC v. Jonathan Rollo, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, LLC, Greenleaf Operations LLC, and Mission Yogurt Inc.
settled
Brought by the franchisor · filed 2023-08-10 · United States District Court, Central District of California Western Division · 2.23-cv-06526-FMO-JC
“… – Filed August 10, 2023 in United States District Court, Central District of California Western Division (Case No. 2.23-cv-06526-FMO-JC).”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “This matter has been dismissed pursuant to a settlement agreement that was reached between the parties and deemed enforceable by the Court, which limits the areas where the defendants can operate certain restaurants. 3.”
Everything Yogurt Brands, LLC and Villa Pizza, LLC v. Asif Shahzad, Aqsa Hashmi, Taco Jersey Green, Inc. and Hashmi Management, Inc.
settled
Brought against a franchisee · filed 2021-08-06 · Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County · MRS-L-1709-21
“… – Filed August 6, 2021 in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County (MRS-L-1709-21) by Plaintiffs for monetary recovery”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Villa Pizza, LLC, and Everything Yogurt Brands, LLC v. 1314 Food Services, Inc., Michael Dzanoucakis, Servat Ibrahim and Amjad Ibrahim
settled
Brought against a franchisee · filed 2021-06-03 · Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County · MRS-L-1246-21
“… – Filed June 3, 2021 in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County (MRS-L-1246-21) by Plaintiffs for monetary recovery of unpaid royalties under Franchise Agreements for restaurants located at the Tanger Outlets-Riverhead (Riverhead, NY).”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Villa Pizza, LLC, Everything Yogurt Brands, LLC and Villa Ristorante, Inc. v. Fast Casual Enterprises, LLC, Richard Kim, Timothy Tary and Jungwon Baeg
settled
Brought against a franchisee · filed 2016 · Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County · MRS-L-2356-16
“… filed October 2016 in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Morris County (MRS-L-2356-16) by Plaintiff based upon franchise agreements seeking monetary relief for unpaid fees, rent and other payments.”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “In September 2018, Richard Kim and Timothy Tary entered into a Settlement Agreement with the Plaintiffs promising to pay a sum certain and failing to do so agreeing to a consent judgment.” (page 12)

Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor

Concluded (5)

Ameream LLC v. Villa Pizza Enterprises of New Jersey, Inc. d/b/a Tony + Benny’s, d/b/a Green Leaf’s Beyond Great Salads and Bananas Smoothies & Frozen Yogurt and Villa Restaurant Group
dismissed
Brought by a third party · Villa Pizza Enterprises of New Jersey, Inc. and Villa Restaurant Group · filed 2021-01-28 · Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, Law Division · BER-L-000638-21
“… Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, Law Division, Docket No.”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “On August 26, 2024, this case was dismissed after trial in favor of Villa Pizza Enterprises. 2. TRADEMARK Everything Yogurt Brands, LLC v. Jonathan Rollo, Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop, LLC, Greenleaf Operations LLC, and Mission Yogurt Inc. – Filed August 10, 2023 in United States District Court, Central District of California Western Division (Case No. 2.23-cv-06526-FMO-JC).”
Centermark Properties of West Covina v. R&S Ventures, Inc.
judgment
Brought by a third party · R&S Ventures, Inc. (former affiliate of our assignor) · Superior Court of the State of California, East District, Los Angeles County · KC014078
“… Case No. KC014078 Superior Court of the State of California, East District, Los Angeles County David Sung, as subtenant of R&S Ventures, Inc., executed a sublease agreement for premises”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
DeBartolo Capital Partnership v. R&S Ventures
judgment
Brought by a third party · R&S Ventures, Inc. (former affiliate of our assignor) · Common Pleas Court, Mahoning County, Ohio · 95CV1 533
“… Case No. 95CV1 533 Common Pleas Court, Mahoning County, Ohio R&S Ventures, Inc. subleased premises at Summit Mall, Ohio to Spray Development Co. as subtenant, on December 7, 1988 and the lease was terminated by the landlord for subtenant’s failure to pay rent.”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Mayfair Properties, Inc. v. R&S Ventures, Inc.
judgment
Brought by a third party · R&S Ventures, Inc. (former affiliate of our assignor Everything Yogurt Brands, Inc.) · State of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County · 10704/93
“… Index No. 10704/93 State of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Yogurt Queen, Inc., a subtenant of R&S Ventures, Inc., defaulted on the rent and abandoned the premises located at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin on or about August 9, 1992.”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
W.G. Park L.P. vs. R&S Ventures, Inc.
judgment
Brought by a third party · R&S Ventures, Inc. (former affiliate of our assignor) · Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania · 01-13409
“… Case No. 01-13409 Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, R&S Ventures leased a premises at the Willow Grove Mall in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania and subleased same to Yash Paul Chawla.”Page 13 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3

Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.

Disclosed in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document

Item 4: bankruptcy

Biagio Scotto, president of Villa Pizza Specialties, Inc. (Texas corporation operating one store), filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy case number 15-31057 in United States Bankruptcy Court - District of New Jersey. Case closed February 14, 2017.

Disclosure signals that moved the score

How this shows up in the verdict

Multiple litigation cases including trademark infringement, unpaid royalties, and lease disputes indicate operational and legal mismanagement

The verdict grade is FranchiseVerdict's editorial assessment across SBA loan performance, unit growth, revenue and disclosure signals. It is not investment advice.

Before you weigh a lawsuit

How to read Item 3

A franchisor must disclose pending actions and any material civil action involving the franchise relationship, plus convictions or civil judgments for fraud, unfair or deceptive practices, or franchise-law violations, going back ten years. A case the franchisor brought against a franchisee counts too. Item 3 does not include every dispute: settled claims below the materiality line and matters resolved in private arbitration can be absent.

Questions worth asking current and former franchisees, using the contact list in Item 20:

Were you, or anyone you know in the system, party to a dispute with the franchisor?
Was it resolved by settlement, arbitration or a court, and on what terms?
Has the number of disputes gone up or down since you signed?

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