In the competition for most intriguing restaurant tale of our times, the Trump Burger chain could give Turkey Leg Hut a run for whatever money it has left. After five short-or long, depending on your perspective-years, Trump Burger’s 127-word-long Wikipedia entry includes the terms “multiple lawsuits,” “cease-and-desist letter,” “arrested by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents” and “all Trump Burger locations had closed.”
One of those Trump Burger locations has not only closed, but the property already has a new tenant. Empire Pizza is now occupying the red, white and blue building at 3410 Chimney Rock Rd. in Houston, snug in between Richmond Street and the Southwest Freeway.
Empire Pizza is an existing chain of red-and-white-clad pizzerias touting Italian and New York-style grub including plenty of pies, plus pasta, subs, calzones and salads. It has locations already in Bellville and Sugar Land; interestingly, Empire’s Bellville location is just one mile down the road from the original Trump Burger location in Bellville.
The transition from Trump Burger to Empire Pizza comes weeks after Chron spotted a closed sign on the front door window of the Chimney Rock location, despite the simultaneous presence of a cardboard President Donald Trump cutout welcoming you to the restaurant. Now, signage has begun to change with Empire’s logo on the front and on the large street-side sign. The side of the building and interior, however, still had plenty of the Trump Burger branding as of Nov. 3.
Despite a change of name, the former Trump Burger building in Houston, Texas, still has some Trump Burger branding. (Timothy Malcolm/Chron)
That location opened all the way back in May, at a time when the restaurant celebrating our 47th and 49 president was happily expanding across southeast Texas. But then Trump Burger co-founder and Lebanese nationalist Roland Beainy was arrested, accused of committing immigration fraud on an application. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Beainy applied for legal status after marrying a woman he allegedly wasn’t living with at the time, raising suspicions.
“USCIS revoked the petition after evidence, including admissions from the petitioner’s own family, exposed his marriage as a sham designed to game the system,” DHS told Chron in a statement in August. “This person has no Green Card, a history of illegal marriages, and an assault charge. DHS is actively pursuing all legal avenues to address this flagrant abuse of our immigration laws.”
Beainy responded to Chron, saying “90 percent of the s–t they’re saying isn’t true.”
In June, Trump Burger sued its Kemah landlord, alleging he forcibly removed staff and took over the restaurant property. The landlord responded by accusing Beainy of unpaid debts. In September, Beainy and the Trump Burger folks sued the landlord, claiming he facilitated a “hostile takeover” of the property and formed MAGA Burger. That lawsuit is ongoing in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
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This article originally published at Failed controversial Houston eatery becomes city’s newest pizzeria.