The newspaper was the first to break the story about how Capri, a 52-year-old former New York mobster-turned-informant-turned-Arizona-businessman lured cities all over the country like Cleveland into believing that Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill and Rascal Flatts Bar and Grill would open in their town. Only they never did.
According to the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office, a federal grand jury indicted Capri, along with his mother and an unidentified individual, late last month. The move comes years after Capri began scamming investors and developers associated with the chain restaurants, making off with millions of dollars.
As some may recall, the Flats East Bank Toby Keith property was first announced in the early 2010s, but by 2015 the whole idea was officially called off. The Rascal Flatts restaurant, which developers didn’t know was really owned by the people behind the Toby Keith joint, was announced in 2016, only to be cast aside in early 2019.
Capri is scheduled for an April 7 trial. In the meantime, read a refresher of what exactly went down in the Flats East Bank right here.
Sign up for Scene’s weekly newsletters to get the latest on Cleveland news, things to do and places to eat delivered right to your inbox.
This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2020.
Cleveland is a rock city, no country bars allowed!
Dodged two deplorable bullets.
Anyone who would frequent or invest in a Rascal Flatts or Toby Keith restaraunt deserves to have their money taken.
What was going to be on the menu, artesinal organic grass fed barbecued road kill?
Take your hillbilly asses back to the inbred southern state that spawned you.
Jimmy Haslem wanted these.
Anyone involved with the development of these ideas as viable restaurants in the first place should have been arrested just for the idea–before they had any chance to be pitched for real. Whoever it was with the city who rubber stamped these projects as “yeah, that sounds like a great idea” should have likewise been arrested just for the the thought.
I love the highly educated commenters that have shown up on Scene in the last year or two.
“Cleveland is a rock city” -signed : the half dozen country concerts that sell out Blossom every year. You can really tell Cleveland is a rock and roll city by all of our kickass rock radio stations, right? [eye roll] Hell, even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is barely rock. The last few years of inductees included Janet Jackson, Tupac, NWA, and Linda Ronstadt for crying out loud, and I can’t wait to hear that hard rocking induction of Notorious BIG this year.
“Take your hillbilly asses back to the inbred southern state that spawned you” – signed: Rascal Flatts who are from Columbus Ohio.
You’d almost have a point, if it weren’t for the fact that my sentiments were directed at the dumb hillers who fell for this crap right here in Cleveland, Ohio. Who gives a flying fuck where Rascal Farts is from?
You and these hillbillies ought to get together and work on your reading comprehension. I’m sure if you put your tiny, little peabrains together you can make it through “See Spot Run” together.
I believe in you.