Amidst allegations of recipe theft and outstanding payments, the collaborative venture between former Turkey Leg Hut employee Lynn Price and Tiger2Dozen has come to an abrupt halt. Royal Bellock and his fiancée Jackquel Johnson have withdrawn from the oyster pop-up near the Third Ward restaurant, citing grievances against Price.
The dispute arose when Bellock and Johnson claimed that Price, who initially invited them to introduce their Tiger2Dozen concept to Houston, replicated their menu and recipes for the newly launched Oyster Hut. Additionally, Bellock and Johnson allege that Price owes them close to $3,000.
“This endeavor was Tiger’s vision. He was eager to establish a presence in Houston,” Johnson asserted. “Yet, we discovered that Lynn is willing to exploit and appropriate others’ creations.”
Price reportedly crossed paths with Bellock in New Orleans during a second-line parade. Their shared passion for automobiles culminated in the inception of Tiger2Dozen, a modest pop-up featuring a single grill near the Third Ward Restaurant, using a Turkey Leg Hut-branded tent, which Turkey Leg Hut officials say he was using without permission and even though there was a restraining order preventing him from being on the property.
Price utilized his extensive social media presence, boasting over 220,000 Instagram followers, to promote the pop-up as a taste of New Orleans for Houston residents. The inaugural weekend witnessed significant success, with Bellock serving nearly 1,200 oysters to eager customers enduring lengthy queues of up to three hours.
Although there was no concrete plan for Tiger2Dozen’s return, the triumph prompted an informal agreement between Bellock and Price to collaborate on future pop-ups and share profits.
Despite Bellock’s ongoing efforts, Price began to distance himself from Tiger2Dozen, ceasing to acknowledge them in social media posts and displaying reluctance to formalize their partnership. Attempts to negotiate a formal agreement faltered when Price insisted on prioritizing his own reputation over equitable profit-sharing.
Johnson recounted instances where Price, despite portraying himself as deeply involved in operations, seldom contributed and pressured Bellock to shoulder an excessive workload. Furthermore, Price failed to fulfill financial obligations to suppliers and employees, exacerbating tensions.
“It became evident that Price had his own agenda from the outset, despite not being the driving force behind the oyster venture,” Johnson lamented. “Lynn is quick to abandon those who helped him,” she concluded.
Price has not commented on the matter. Nakia Holmes, the founder of the Turkey Leg Hut, has no relationship with Bullock and her representative says they are working to make it clear that their commitment remains to customer’s of the Turkey Leg Hut.
“These actions (by Lynn Price) are deeply concerning and cast a further shadow over Turkey Leg Hut by association. These allegations are particularly damaging as they paint the business in a defamatory light during a time when we are diligently working to restore and enhance Turkey Leg Hut’s legacy,” the rep said.
