Trump Hotel Sues José Andrés' Company For Pulling Out of Restaurant Deal

Donald Trump's company has filed a lawsuit against José Andrés' restaurant company, which recently announced it was canceling plans to open a restaurant at the upcoming D.C. hotel.

Trump Old Post Office LLC filed a lawsuit in D.C. court today against ThinkFoodGroup, as first reported by The Washington City Paper. The suit seeks $10 million in lost rent and damages, claiming breach of contract.

The chef pulled out of his plans for a restaurant earlier this month, following Donald Trump's inflammatory comments about Mexican immigrants. Chef Geoffrey Zakarian followed suit a day later. Trump's remarks drew a protest at the site of the hotel later that week.

UPDATE: The ThinkFoodGroup team released a statement over the weekend which read, "This lawsuit is both unsurprising and without merit. Simply put, Mr. Trump's comments made ThinkFoodGroup's participation in this project impossible and constituted a breach, which the landlord, Trump Old Post Office LLC, refused to remedy. And despite our attempts to negotiate an amicable resolution, we were ultimately forced to terminate the lease. We had every intention of running a successful business that celebrates and welcomes people and cultures from around the world. The landlord allowed Mr. Trump to saddle us with the burden of his inflammatory statements, such that operating a high-end Spanish restaurant is no longer viable at this location."