Landlord Drops Claims Against Kandi Burruss in Restaurant Rent Dispute

Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kandi Burruss is no longer a named defendant in the landlord lawsuit over alleged unpaid rent at her Blaze Steak & Seafood restaurant in Atlanta. According to court documents obtained by In Touch, the landlord, Montego Pacific Inc., voluntarily dismissed all claims against Burruss on March 16.

Montego’s legal team explained that they initially sued Kandi because of a personal guaranty she had signed related to the restaurant’s lease. But after Kandi’s attorneys provided documents proving the guaranty had already expired before the lawsuit was filed, the landlord conceded she should no longer be part of the case.

“Her remaining a party defendant in this civil action serves no useful or meaningful purpose,” Montego’s lawyer stated.

The lawsuit, however, will continue against Burruss-Tucker Restaurant Group and Blaze Steakhouse, the business entities co-owned by Burruss and her husband Todd Tucker. The landlord claims the couple’s company owes over $154,000 in back rent and nearly $57,000 for repairs made to the property, accusing the group of failing to meet lease obligations. They’re also asking for legal fees.

Kandi, for her part, says this entire situation has been overblown.

Speaking out earlier this week, she claimed her name was added to the lawsuit strictly “for publicity.”

“They had to drop my name off,” Burruss said. “I think they just put my name on there anyway so that they could get publicity for the lawsuit.”

The Grammy-winning singer and entrepreneur clarified that the dispute centers on a disagreement over who’s responsible for property repairs. “It looks like we’re gonna come to some agreement,” she added. “So it’ll be fine.”

Kandi and Todd opened Blaze in 2020, expanding their restaurant portfolio after launching the successful Old Lady Gang brand in 2017. Earlier this year, Burruss announced her departure from RHOA after 14 seasons, shifting her focus to new ventures—including her growing food empire and ongoing Broadway production work.