{"id":676131,"date":"2025-06-19T16:15:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T13:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/investors-health-violations-and-more\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T16:15:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T13:15:19","slug":"investors-health-violations-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/investors-health-violations-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Investors, Health Violations, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhen Jessica Hall invested in Sugar Taco in 2018, she thought she was becoming more than a part-owner of a vegan Mexican restaurant \u2014 she thought she was joining a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> movement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe restaurant\u2019s produce, she was told, would be organic, ethically and locally sourced from independent farms in Southern California. It would be eco-conscious and sustainable. Packaging would remind customers that \u201cgrowing feed crops for livestock consumes 56 percent of water in the U.S.\u201d Deliveries would include biodegradable wooden utensils instead of plastic. Leftover food would be composted, not thrown out. The decor would be bought secondhand to cut down on waste. Trees would be planted to offset its carbon output. Animal rights would be respected, with a portion of the proceeds going to Los Angeles-based rescue shelters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAbove all, Sugar Taco would be feminist \u2014 or at least female. The founders \u2014 Jayde Nicole and Brittany Littleton \u2014 were building an investment group made up entirely of women. And not just any women: a sorority of social media-savvy models, wellness influencers and reality TV alums \u2014 a surprising number of whom had spent time on the pages\u00a0of <em>Playboy<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHall, for instance, graced the magazine in 2005. Nicole was 2008 Playmate of the Year, and she promoted the restaurant to her sister-investors as a kind of post-Hugh Hefner, women-led utopia \u2014 less grotto, more Lean In \u2014 where the mission was female empowerment, the message was veganism, and the vibe was always photo-ready.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cFor every kids meal sold, they were going to feed three kids in Mexico,\u201d Hall says of the investment pitch. \u201cI had just become a mom, so I was like, \u2018This is amazing.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIt wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tOver the next several years, investors like Hall found themselves embroiled in a food-fight fiasco so chaotic, it would have reduced Gordon Ramsay to tears. There were claims of roach-infested pantries, dangerously dilapidated gas lines, an industrial blade turning up in a customer\u2019s meal, managerial neglect and odd financial missteps. What began as a glossy, girl-powered brand with rescue dogs and biodegradable forks had, by the end, devolved into a bitter social media melee, with Playmate pitted against Playmate and a restaurant that was anything but Instagrammable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cThey purported to be business leaders and entrepreneurs,\u201d says another investor, Merissa Underwood, Miss Montana in 2020. \u201cIt just goes to show that if you can create a specific image online, people will believe that.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1547\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Exterior-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"1547\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">The original restaurant on Melrose Avenue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Michael Bezjian\/Getty Images for Sugar Taco<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHall, now 41, and Nicole, 39, first became friends in the late 2000s while both were still wearing bunny ears and hanging out at the Mansion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   alignright size-thr-medium alignright lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:303px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((435\/303)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Jesica-Hall-Embed-2025.jpg?w=303\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"435\" width=\"303\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Jessica Hall on Playboy Radio<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Tiffany Rose\/WireImage)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAt that time \u2014 the pre-#MeToo, pre-male gaze era \u2014 there still lingered a certain cachet to being a Playboy Playmate, and Nicole (whose real name is Jayde Nicole Gilette-Ivany but who goes by the more media-friendly Jayde Nicole) made the most of it. She landed several <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>earances on MTV\u2019s <em>The Hills<\/em> and even dated one of its stars, Brody Jenner. Hall, who back then was a regular presence on the <em>Playboy<\/em> website and had a gig hosting a show on its satellite radio channel, found Nicole irresistible, as did a lot of other Playmates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cShe was really tall and beautiful \u2014 she had a presence about her that drew you in,\u201d says Sara Jean Underwood, the 2007 Playmate of the Year and a Sugar Taco investor. According to Underwood, when Nicole went out, she was the \u201cleader of the pack.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNicole\u2019s backstory is classic centerfold hagiography: Born and raised in a tiny town northeast of Toronto, she was plucked out of a concert crowd by two modeling scouts. On a shoot in the Florida Keys, a photographer suggested she submit to <em>Playboy<\/em>. Just before her 21st birthday, she was anointed Miss January 2007, then, a year later, made Playmate of the Year and was given a room of her own in Hef\u2019s mansion (the two never dated).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAfter closing her career as a centerfold, Nicole evolved into a nightlife impresario (a trade she had clearly long been interested in; before <em>Playboy<\/em>, she\u2019d studied hotel management at George Brown College). In 2012, she opened her first hotspot, AV Nightclub in West Hollywood. By all outward appearances, it was a roaring success. <em>Star<\/em> magazine hosted its \u201cAll-Hollywood\u201d party there, and Lindsay Lohan often showed up with swarms of paparazzi. Two more clubs followed, one in Scottsdale, Arizona, and one in San Diego, and Toca Madera, a Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood that closed earlier this year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn 2018, Nicole began reaching out to her vast network of friends \u2014 models, influencers, former Playmates \u2014 to pitch them Sugar Taco, a restaurant concept that merged her hospitality expertise with her interest in plant-based politics. She found an instant ally in a former assistant, Littleton, who had since blossomed into a vegan influencer \u2014 \u201cherbalist,\u201d is how she describes herself on Instagram \u2014 with a crunchy online feed featuring earthy motherhood helpers like recipes for oat, flaxseed and nut butter \u201clactation bites\u201d and organic hemp \u201cpads\u201d for diapers. Nicole and Littleton became founding partners in the restaurant venture, and the two set out to woo investors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((799\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Jayde-Nicole-Jessica-Hall-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"799\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Hall (with Nicole)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Angela Weiss\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIt didn\u2019t take long. Hall invested $20,000 for a single percentage point of equity. Other former Playmates followed, including Jessica Burciaga (Miss February 2009) and Tiffany Toth (Miss September 2011). Public corporate documents reviewed by <em>THR<\/em> show a star-studded roster of investors beyond just the pages of <em>Playboy<\/em>, including <em>Clueless<\/em> actress and animal rights activist Alicia Silverstone, onetime Nickelodeon star Daniella Monet, professional surfer Tia Blanco and <em>The Bachelor<\/em>\u2018s Kelley Flanagan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cI didn\u2019t know anything about the restaurant industry,\u201d Toth admits. \u201cI just wanted to be part of something I could feel good about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe first Sugar Taco opened in spring 2019 at the corner of Melrose Avenue and Alta Vista Boulevard, and it looked more like an influencer photo backdrop than a traditional Mexican restaurant. Walls were painted in funky neons and decorated with faux ivy. Tables and chairs were a mix of reclaimed wood and salvaged finds. Vibrant Dia de Los Muertos murals adorned the walls. It worked. Sugar Taco was a hit, even through COVID. Turned out a quick-service, delivery-friendly, vegan taco shop was exactly the kind of eatery that health-conscious, socially distanced Angelenos craved during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThanks to Nicole\u2019s considerable social media skills \u2014 and the online reach of her Insta-savvy backers, with a combined following of millions \u2014 Sugar Taco looked to the outside world like a thriving restaurant. More importantly, investors were happy, at least at first. They started receiving their initial disbursement payments of $1,125. Plans were drawn for a second location in Sherman Oaks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhat investors didn\u2019t see, however, were the early warning signs of impending chaos. \u201cWe had no management,\u201d a former Sugar Taco employee tells <em>THR<\/em>. Nicole was \u201cnever there.\u201d Littleton and newly hired Sugar Taco head chef Alan Campos \u2014 former regional executive chef for Neiman Marcus, where he oversaw the plant-focused menu at the department store\u2019s caf\u00e9s \u2014 had been attentive when the restaurant first opened. But after a few months, they stopped coming in regularly. Kitchen and front-of-house employees would show up for shifts, says the former employee, and manage themselves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNone of this showed up on Instagram\u2019s feed \u2014 or in Nicole\u2019s pitch to new investors, during which she continued to project an image of shrewd female entrepreneurship. \u201cI was like, \u2018Wow, that\u2019s a lot of growth, especially in that situation,\u2019 \u201d recalls podcaster and vegan activist Jamie Campo, who ended up investing in Sugar Taco\u2019s expansion to Sherman Oaks. \u201cI thought they must be doing great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhen the Sherman Oaks branch opened in early 2021, it was a star-studded affair \u2014 well, at least Silverstone showed up. \u201cDelicious food, great service and an amazing way to support small businesses!\u201d the actress gushed on Instagram. \u201cTrust me \u2026 you\u2019ll thank me later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBut as Sugar Taco expanded, the investment payouts slowed. At first, nobody was too alarmed \u2014 growing pains and all \u2014 but when they did begin inquiring about money, Nicole and Littleton would turn frosty. \u201cEvery time we asked questions, we were told, \u2018Most investors don\u2019t care to know that. Most investors don\u2019t get what you are asking for,\u2019 \u201d remembers Toth. \u201cWe were always met with some sort of weird hostility.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((748\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Book-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"748\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">The do-it yourself <em>Sugar Taco <\/em>cookbook<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Countryman Press<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSources close to Sugar Taco\u2019s leadership adamantly deny any mismanagement, pointing out that Sugar Taco remained open while hundreds of restaurants in L.A. closed during the pandemic. They also note that disbursements are not a given. They say that there is no schedule or guarantee that investors will receive them at all, or in any specific amount or timeline.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tStill, as investors would learn, the Sherman Oaks location appeared to be even more dysfunctional than the West Hollywood branch. \u201cIt was revolting,\u201d says a former employee who shared photos with <em>THR<\/em> documenting the unsanitary conditions. The pictures show a sink covered in ants; rat droppings in the kitchen and on some of the produce; tomatoes and avocados that had been partially eaten by vermin; and a gas line with its protective sheathing dangerously frayed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tOne customer found a dead spider in a protein bowl, another was served a cockroach with his plate of nachos.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhen workers complained, Nicole and Littleton would promise to address the problems but, according to staffers, never followed through. \u201cJayde and Brittany were nowhere to be found,\u201d says Ash Pavesio, a former front-of-the-house employee.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((676\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Instagram-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"676\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">The restaurant chain announced the end on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((349\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Closing-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"349\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBy September 2022, some employees got so fed up with the work conditions, they went on strike \u2014 on Labor Day, no less. They were fired the next day, inspiring some remaining employees to quit in protest. The striking employees already had filed complaints with the Department of Public Health. A food inspection conducted three days after the mass firings revealed 11 critical health code violations, several involving roaches, dead and living. The restaurant\u2019s permit was suspended until a fumigation could be completed. During the delousing, the restaurant\u2019s front windows were papered over so that the mandatory public health closure notice was not visible to the public (or investors). When the paper came down and the kitchen reopened, Sugar Taco\u2019s health grade sign had been downgraded from an A to a B.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBut by far the most troubling Sugar Taco incident didn\u2019t occur in any of the chain\u2019s restaurants; it happened at the DGA building on Sunset Boulevard, where Sugar Taco had been hired in September 2022 to cater the premiere of <em>Peeled<\/em>, a vegan cooking competition show. One of the party\u2019s attendees suffered \u201csignificant injuries\u201d after biting into a burrito that contained \u201ca large industrial blade,\u201d according to a lawsuit filed in 2023 in Los Angeles Superior Court by the wounded diner.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((816\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Launch-Party-2-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"816\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Interior displays at the Melrose location<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Michael Bezjian\/Getty Images for Sugar Taco<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tInvestors were never made aware of the industrial blade accident, nor of the labor and health problems, and there was certainly no indication that Nicole or Littleton were troubled by any business woes. On the contrary, the founders lived well. Both purchased homes \u2014 Nicole\u2019s a desert hideaway in Indio, California, Littleton\u2019s a Victorian farmhouse in South Carolina. In the media, Nicole made it sound as if Sugar Taco was a girl boss\u2019 dream job. \u201cSometimes we hold [meetings] at the beach in bikinis,\u201d she told fitness model Lori Harder on an episode of her self-help podcast, <em>Earn Your Happy<\/em>. \u201cSometimes we go for cocktails at a restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tFor investors, though, the experience was hardly fun in the sun. While Sherman Oaks backers received some disbursements, in payments of $1,142.86, in the months immediately following the restaurant\u2019s opening, the checks soon stopped without explanation. \u201cThe money started slowing down,\u201d Sara Jean Underwood recalls. \u201cI would reach out to Jayde personally and be like, \u2018Hey, what\u2019s going on? When are we going to get another disbursement?\u2019 She would say, \u2018It\u2019s COVID.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tTo the surprise of some investors, Nicole and Littleton opened their third Sugar Taco in Long Beach in summer 2023. The unveiling was a red carpet affair, with an all-female mariachi band for entertainment. \u201cThe fact that so many influencers were in this project made me feel secure,\u201d says Claire Luken, a French immigrant in San Diego who invested $20,000 in the Long Beach restaurant and another $20,000 in each of the other two locations. As with the other investors, she received a few early disbursements and was surprised when the money suddenly dried up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:1047px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((924\/1047)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Mariachi-Hugh-Hefner-Embed-2025.jpg?w=1047\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"924\" width=\"1047\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Avenue; the all-female mariachi band performing at the flagship\u2019s opening.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Michael Bezjian\/Getty Images for Sugar Taco<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201c[The founders] were hyper-communicative when I decided to invest,\u201d Merissa Underwood, the former Miss Montana, remembers. \u201cBut afterward, the communication really died.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSources close to Sugar Taco management claim the owners were transparent with financial documentation. Nevertheless, investors remained frustrated and began communicating with one another, sharing information about the restaurant and digging into Littleton\u2019s and Nicole\u2019s pasts. They were unnerved by what they found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNicole, for one, had a history of being accused of unsavory business practices. In 2014, she and then-boyfriend Tosh Berman had been among several people sued in L.A. Superior Court by investors in her first West Hollywood hospitality venture, the seemingly successful AV Nightclub. The complaint, reviewed by <em>THR<\/em>, called them \u201chustlers\u201d and \u201cswindlers\u201d who allegedly used the nightclub\u2019s finances \u201cas their own personal piggybank.\u201d Ultimately, an arbiter found that AV\u2019s bookkeeping left something to be desired but that there wasn\u2019t enough evidence to find Nicole, her boyfriend or the other co-defendants liable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tLittleton, meanwhile, had been embroiled in an animal rescue lawsuit. In 2020, a nonprofit firm sued her on behalf of Elliot Haas, a homeless man whose dog was taken off the street and given to Littleton\u2019s Little Love Rescue for rehabilitation (an L.A. Superior Court judge ruled that Littleton should return the dog; she\u2019s still appealing the case). Around the same time, the California Attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a> ordered Little Love Rescue to cease operations over concerns regarding its fundraising efforts (sources close to Littleton claim those charges were baseless).<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   alignleft size-thr-medium alignleft lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:318px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((435\/318)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Merissa-Underwood-Embed-2025.jpg?w=318\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"435\" width=\"318\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Merissa Underwood (competing in Miss<br \/>\nUSA)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">MUO\/Shutterstock<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tArmed with all that information, investors from all three locations banded together to confront Nicole and Littleton. In a group text, Toth, taking the lead, requested a meeting to go over Sugar Taco\u2019s finances. Nicole responded, \u201cHey tiff! I will text you off this chain,\u201d then deleted the chat group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cTiff\u201d never got that follow-up text. Several days later, Nicole sent a lengthy text to all investors, in a newly formed group chat, addressing their litany of concerns. The employees who went on strike were lazy, irresponsible liars, Nicole wrote. Sherman Oaks had a vermin problem because employees \u201cdid not want to preform [sic] the cleaning duties asked of them.\u201d Sugar Taco didn\u2019t have a profit and loss statement because \u201ci am aware of ever [sic] sales number and payment we make so i [sic] don\u2019t have the need for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tShe blamed the restaurant\u2019s struggles on \u201ccrazy customers, violent houseless people that come in.\u201d The company\u2019s finances weren\u2019t in order because of issues with the previous accountant. She defended opening a third Sugar Taco location because it \u201cactually helps the other locations tremendously. \u2026 It creates more buying power for discounts on food and supplies, it helps share the cost of marketing and even gets us discounts on insurance and dishwasher rentals,\u201d she went on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cI work 24\/7,\u201d she texted her investors. \u201cI do not date. I don\u2019t go out to dinner or <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> with friends, I don\u2019t go to the gym, I barely leave my house, because I am working.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   alignright size-thr-medium alignright lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:348px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((435\/348)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Tiffany-Toth-Embed-2025.jpg?w=348\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"435\" width=\"348\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Tiffany Toth at Tacotopia in 2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">Albert L. Ortega\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tUnsatisfied with Nicole\u2019s response, several investors retained legal counsel and, in September 2023, shortly after the Long Beach branch opened, sent a demand letter to Nicole and Littleton seeking the company\u2019s bank and credit card statements. A review of those documents by <em>THR<\/em> show Sugar Taco frequently made purchases at retail supermarkets such as Ralphs, Pavilions, Whole Foods and even the comically expensive Erewhon and used such delivery services as Instacart and Uber Eats. Nicole defended the practice to investors, writing that Instacart was helpful for restocking minor items and that Sugar Taco mainly bought its produce from wholesalers, including Nature\u2019s Produce (a company, incidentally, that sued Sugar Taco in December 2023 for $19,904.80 in unpaid bills; Sugar Taco paid the balance and the case was dropped). Sources close to Sugar Taco management claim that purchasing from supermarket chains is not an unusual practice in the restaurant business.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tA <em>THR<\/em> review of the documents identifies money from Sugar Taco bank accounts was used to fly Nicole\u2019s mother to Palm Springs. Nicole justified the expense to investors by claiming her mom had been helping keep the company\u2019s books, even though Sugar Taco had contracted a third-party accounting firm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tInvestors also point out that the documents show that Littleton and Nicole used the company\u2019s American Express card for personal expenses, such as Nicole\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> to attend Littleton\u2019s wedding. In February 2023, a $1,375.96 airline ticket purchase and $293.23 worth of Airbnb rentals in Mexico were charged to the AmEx card used for Sugar Taco\u2019s Long Beach location. The timing seemed curious. The following month, Littleton got married to Campos, Sugar Taco\u2019s head chef, in a cave outside the Mexican resort town of Tulum. In an Instagram photo posing with the bride (since deleted), Nicole wrote, \u201cAlways in a business mind, even when we are having fun.\u201d (Sources close to Sugar Taco management say this was a mistake by an assistant and the sums were repaid when the error was discovered.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn all, Nicole and Littleton raised untold millions for six different businesses \u2014 three Sugar Taco locations; The Plant Butchers, a vegan \u201cbutcher shop\u201d in Long Beach; The Donut Room, a vegan donut shop; and Azucar (Spanish for \u201csugar\u201d), a canned tequila cocktail brand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAll Sugar Taco restaurants are now shuttered, including the original Sugar Taco, which closed in April. The Plant Butchers also shut down this year, while The Donut Room and booze brand never materialized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cWhen I asked [Nicole] for the money back, her response was, \u2018Are you having financial issues?\u2019 \u201d recalls Adam Weitsman, a billionaire serial investor who sunk $300,000 into Azucar. He eventually took control of the tequila brand and \u2014 who knows? \u2014 it may someday find its way to shelves. But Sugar Taco investors are not likely to get much of their money back, at least not without a lawsuit \u2014 and the math for launching legal action doesn\u2019t really add up. Most invested somewhere between $20,000 and $60,000, and a protracted legal battle would very likely cost more than they put in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t\u201cTo think that I poured my money into their hands, when I have a family myself,\u201d laments Luken, who says she was so distressed from the experience that she has moved her family from San Diego to Mexico. \u201cI could have used this money for travels or for my daughter\u2019s college. It made me really depressed. I started to have nightmares about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSome of the investors blame themselves for not performing their due diligence on Nicole and Littleton until too late, when the restaurants were already in trouble. \u201cI wish that I would\u2019ve never allowed them to utilize my name and my likeness,\u201d says Monet, the former Nickelodeon star. \u201cI didn\u2019t know them well. I shouldn\u2019t have trusted them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSome of the women who invested in Sugar Taco because they wanted to become female entrepreneurs were so turned off by the experience, they\u2019ve given up on the whole notion of entrepreneurship. \u201cI feel so stupid for [investing], especially when my husband was like, \u2018I don\u2019t know if you should invest in this,\u2019 \u201d says Sugar Taco investor Ivette Saucedo, a reality star turned influencer. \u201cIt hurt me. It hurt my ego.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   alignleft size-thr-medium alignleft lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:311px\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  \">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((435\/311)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-Sara-Jean-Underwood-Hugh-Hefner-Embed-2025.jpg?w=311\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"435\" width=\"311\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-padding-tb-025\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"a-font-secondary-s lrv-u-margin-r-025\">Sara Jean Underwood at a<br \/>\nPlayboy party;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"a-font-accent-uppercase-xs lrv-u-color-grey-dark\">y Chad Buchanan\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhat stings most for many of them isn\u2019t just the money lost or the brand\u2019s collapse \u2014 it\u2019s the betrayal of what Sugar Taco claimed to stand for. \u201cI know restaurants are probably not a very smart investment,\u201d Sara Jean Underwood says. \u201cI took the chance anyway because the mission was so appealing to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIt wasn\u2019t just about tacos; it was about changing the world, one biodegradable spoon at a time. But the women who signed up for sisterhood, fighting against climate change and saving animals instead got ghosted and gaslit and lost tens of thousands of dollars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAs for the founders themselves \u2014 neither of whom would speak on the record for this article \u2014 they\u2019ve been keeping a low profile.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tLittleton not only changed her last name when she married Campos in that cave near Tulum, she changed her first name, too. She is now Nia Gatica Campos, presumably living in her crunchy homestead in rural South\u00a0Carolina.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tNicole sold her home in Indio and decamped for parts unknown. Like Littleton, she too has undergone a bit of an identity transformation. In March, she erased all photos and personal details from her Instagram account, briefly turning the feed over to an AI avatar named Nicola Bianchi. \u201cGreek-Italian muse,\u201d her new bio read. \u201cModel &amp; artist. Exploring the world\u2019s beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThese days, though, her Insta is completely blank, less influencer, more enigma.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\t<em>This story appeared in the June 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/subscriptions.hollywoodreporter.com\/site\/thr-subscribe\">Click here to subscribe<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/business\/business-news\/sugar-taco-scandal-investors-health-violations-1236293402\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Jessica Hall invested in Sugar Taco in 2018, she thought she was becoming more than a part-owner of a vegan Mexican restaurant \u2014 she thought she was joining a social movement. The restaurant\u2019s produce, she was told, would be organic, ethically and locally sourced from independent farms in Southern California. It would be eco-conscious&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":676132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/17FEA-Sugar-Taco-MAIN-2025.jpg?w=1296&h=730&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[72095,71358],"class_list":["post-676131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-dining","tag-playboy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=676131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/676131\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/676132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=676131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=676131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=676131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}