By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Subscribe now and get up to 61% off the cover price. Includes access to the digital magazine.
Plus, get the exclusive Robb Report tote bag FREE.
Give the Gift of Luxury
Subscribe to RR1 Live+ for exclusive virtual events all year long (at least 1 per month), conversations with Robb Report editors, special perks, and more.
Evan Funke’s Mother Wolf has been a smash hit in Los Angeles since it opened in late 2021. So it makes sense that expansion would be in the cards. But if Relevant Group, which helped launch the restaurant, has anything to say about it, there will be no other Mother Wolf locations—at least not now.
Relevant has filed a federal-court complaint in Nevada against Ten Five Hospitality and that company’s managing partner, Dan Daley, to stop them from opening up a Mother Wolf outpost in Las Vegas. The two different groups have been sparring since earlier this year, when allegations of fraud and mismanagement came to light in an Eater investigation. Now Relevant is taking things a step further with its Nevada complaint and an amended cross-complaint in Los Angeles.
“As alleged in the Nevada complaint and Los Angeles complaint, Dan Daley engaged in fraudulent misconduct and improper self-dealing, stealing Relevant’s valuable management contracts and attempting to steal invaluable intellectual property—including the rights to use the IP for the highly regarded Mother Wolf restaurant,” a lawyer for Relevant said in a statement. “We expect the court to set aside the wrongfully obtained hotel and food and beverage management agreements, and confirm that Ten Five Hospitality and Mr. Daley have no rights in the intellectual property for the food and beverage concepts.”
Daley was formerly the COO of Relevant Hospitality, and Relevant now claims that he stole many of the company’s assets for use by himself and Ten Five, which he founded while still in the COO role. As it pertains to Mother Wolf, Daley and Ten Five are looking to open a Las Vegas location of the restaurant this year, according to the Nevada complaint, despite Relevant saying that Ten Five does not own Mother Wolf’s IP or have the rights to use its IP at new locations. (Ten Five did not respond to Robb Report‘s request for comment.)
If this Las Vegas location were to open, Relevant claims in its lawsuit, it would cause confusion among customers, and the company would lose control over its reputation. As such, Relevant has turned to the courts to stop Ten Five from opening up shop in Sin City. What happens in Vegas, it seems, may not always happen in Vegas.
Culinary Masters 2023
Don’t miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Report’s Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information on Robb Report experiences, visit RR1.
Sep. 28–Oct. 1: Indulge in incredible meals, expertly paired wines, and a luxury getaway in Jackson Hole this fall.
Give the Gift of Luxury