*Rapper 2 Chainz is moving forward with plans to expand his Esco Restaurant and Tapas chain.
The Grammy Award-winning is set to expand his Esco eatery with Atlanta-based entrepreneur Mychel “Snoop” Dillard now that the pair have settled a two-year legal battle with the estate of Pablo Escobar.
The rapper launched the first of three Esco Restaurant And Tapas locations in Georgia in 2016. In June 2020, 2 Chainz and Dillard were hit with a $10 million dollar lawsuit by Escobar Inc., a company established by Escobar’s brother, AllHipHop reported.
Escobar Inc. accused Chainz and Dillard of using the late drug kingpin’s name and likeness at Esco locations, on websites, social media accounts, and merchandise, per the report.
READ MORE: 2 Chainz Reverses Decision to Reopen His Two ATL Restaurants
2 Chainz Sued by Pablo Escobar’s Family Co. Over ATL Restaurant’s Name https://t.co/8ZyXq5NcxB
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 18, 2020
The $10 million trademark lawsuit was ultimately settled out of court, with Escobar Inc. reportedly receiving $15,000 from Chainz and Dillard under the terms of the agreement, Vibe reports.
2 Chainz previously described Esco as a “lounge with great food and great atmosphere.”
“Of course, we have the best drinks in town. We also have hookahs that attract pretty women, which attract playa guys,” he told Franchise Times.
“[Snoop’s] one of the people that really made my transition into this hospitality space easier because, originally my introduction to the space was real estate. I own properties and dirt and stuff like that,” 2 Chainz said. “So that merged with her passion and mine and made me very comfortable in this space going on six years now.”
When Dillard appeared on an October 2021 episode of the podcast Inside the Vault with Ash Cash, she noted that her first meeting with 2 Chainz took place inside the Hookah Hideaway (which Dillard owns) in Atlanta.
“I’ll never forget the night before I met with him, I was so nervous. And not because I’m star struck or anything like that, but I knew the effect that this partnership could have on my life and my success,” she said.
There are currently Esco locations in Atlanta with franchises set to open in Columbus, OH, Memphis, TN and Chicago, IL.
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