Bun B is accused of stealing the burger recipe from his fellow Trill Burgers co-founders, who claim to have invented the OG Trill Burger.
The UGK rapper co-founded Houston burger joint Trill Burgers in 2021 with siblings Patsy and Benson Vivares, along with Andy Nguyen and Nick Scurfield.
In a legal battle that has lasted more than a year, Trill Burgers has accused the Vivares of embezzling company funds, and the siblings have fought back, claiming Bun B and co. stole their burger recipes.
According to their attorney, Saad Aziz, the Vivares siblings invented the recipe for what became known as the OG Trill Burger.
“[The Vivareses] A lot of time and effort went into developing this recipe,” Aziz told Chron. “They were the ones who figured out the specifics of the smash burger…now known as the OG Trill Burger.”
The Vivares claim they invented the original Trill Burger recipe and later collaborated with Nguyen, who later brought Bun B and Scurfield. The Vivares are seeking $1 million from Bun B, Scurfield, Nguyen and Trill Burgers, LLC.
They also claimed Trill Burgers poached chef Mike Pham from the siblings, an allegation the company denies. Trill Burgers also claims that Patsy and Benson Vivares did not come up with the recipe for the OG Trill Burger. They say it was developed several years ago by Nguyen and another chef, Fernando Valladares.
The Vivares siblings originally ran Sticky’s Chicken and partnered with Bun B in 2021. Trill Burgers started as a pop-up shop, debuting at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to great success.
After the incident, the siblings and other partners began to fall out, and the Vivares were accused of stealing thousands of dollars.
The Vivares are accused of stealing $45,000 from Trill Burgers to pay off a debt owed to Sticky’s Chicken, which they deny.
In turn, the siblings accused Baozi B of misappropriating funds and purchasing high-end cars to promote his business. The rapper denied the claims and said the car was a rental and a sedan.
Bang’s attorney, Charles Adams, called the allegations that his client misappropriated funds to purchase a car “shocking and offensive.”
In June 2022, the partners held a meeting and asked the siblings to give up their share of the business. At this meeting, the Vivares allegedly agreed to abandon their claims in the business.
