Chef Chloe Coscarelli Of By Chloe Was Fired From Her Own Restaurant

By Chloe — the vegan fast-casual restaurant chain that took the farm-to-table crowd by storm after opening in 2015 — has just fired its eponymous founder, Chloe Coscarelli, for "gross negligence" toward the business that now has locations in multiple cities and long lines out the door at each.

Coscarelli is parting ways with the brand after months of tumultuous legal issues between her and By Chloe co-founder, Samantha Wasser, and her famous father, ESquared CEO Jimmy Haber. The two parted ways last summer, and Coscarelli sued Wasser for supposedly trying to open non-vegan restaurants under her name. Coscarelli claimed that after she refused the deal, Haber allegedly threatened her — the suit accused Haber of warning her "that she would need a bodyguard if she dared to meet with him in person," the New York Post reported.

Both Haber and Wasser denied any of this had ever happened. During a 12-day hearing, Wasser rebutted the allegation with her own claims that Coscarelli had stopped being involved in the business six months ago and had actively failed to protect the By Chloe name and brand, according to documents acquired by Eater. Wasser claimed that Coscarelli actively interfered with business deals and failed to act to save the lease of a potential new By Chloe location near Barnard College.

"Pretty much everything you see that creates the By Chloe identity is all me," Wasser said in a statement. "I even came up with the name, By Chloe — with no input from Chloe. And after we opened the first store, it came [sic] very clear that she was putting the needs of her self-interest above the needs of the brand."

The arbitrator agreed that there was enough evidence to remove Coscarelli from the company, which has now led to the vegan entrepreneur's dramatic exit from By Chloe.