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Franchisees alleging abuse by Restalia, owner of 100 Montaditos, La Sureña, and The Good Burger, mobilize over seventy locations
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Allegations include criminal organization, continuous fraud, harms to consumers, coercion, tax crimes, and money laundering
A fraud complaint filed by a group of Restalia franchisees—owners of 100 Montaditos, La Sureña, and The Good Burger—will be expanded after new legal representation is brought in. The filing references a large volume of incoming calls and concerns stretching across many stores.
Attorney Rafael Franco, working with the firm Cremades & Calvo-Sotelo, noted at a press conference that the case is expected to widen with additional franchisees joining in the coming days.
The initial complaint, already accepted for court action, lists fifteen franchises across 31 establishments, including The Good Burger, 100 Montaditos, and Panther cafeterias. Restalia’s founder and executive chairman is a Sevillian entrepreneur named Jose Maria Captain.
The expansion is anticipated to cover nearly forty more stores, according to the attorney. Thirty additional franchisees are evaluating participation and are expected to decide soon, potentially bringing the total to around one hundred stores involved.
The complaint was first filed in August 2021. Counsel for both sides described multiple crimes within the document, among them criminal organization, ongoing fraud offenses, harms to consumers, coercion, tax crimes, and money laundering. The scale of the claim is such that reading it in full could take roughly eight days.
Lawyers summarized the impact by saying the system was disrupted, a situation they described as