Why did Pure Food and Wine close?

Pure Food and Wine’s closure came after a series of walkouts by staff after Melngailis failed to pay them their wages. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, Melngailis and Strangis had defrauded 84 workers of up to $3,500 each.

Does Sarma still own Pure Food and Wine?

A small number of investors meant Pure Food & Wine and spin-off One Lucky Duck in Brooklyn were able to reopen in April 2015, but after Sarma reportedly transferred money into her personal account again, and workers were failed to be paid, Pure Food & Wine shut its doors for good in July 2015.

Did Sarma get her money back?

Sarma Melngailis stole nearly $2 million from investors and employees. After opening successful fine-dining raw restaurant Pure Food and Wine and subsidiary One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway, chef Sarma Melngailis met Anthony Strangis, who identified as Shane Fox at the time.

Where is Sarma now?

Harlem, New York
Sara MeIngailis is now living in Harlem, New York in an apartment with her beloved 12-year-old dog Leon. The 49-year-old ex-restauranteur has a blog called Sarma Raw where she shares personal insights into her life.

How long did Sarma go to jail?

Did Sarma go to prison? In 2017, Melngailis took a plea deal and plead guilty to larceny, tax fraud, and conspiring to defraud. As part of the deal, she served four months in prison later that year.

Will Pure Food and Wine come back?

The restaurant has remained closed ever since; however, Melngailis is open to reviving it. “If there was some magical opportunity to open the same restaurant in the same place, I would do it in a heartbeat,” she told the New York Post in 2019 after serving time at Rikers.

When did Sarma get out of jail?

She served four months in Rikers Island and was released in October 2017 with an additional five years of probation.

Are Sarma and Anthony still together?

She and Strangis both served time in prison after pleading guilty to charges of theft and fraud, and they divorced in May 2018. But in spite of all that, the show suggests in its final moments that the two are still in contact.

Are Sarma and Anthony still married?

She and Strangis both served time in prison after pleading guilty to charges of theft and fraud, and they divorced in May 2018.

Did Sarma pay her employees?

Did Sarma pay her employees? In the Bad Vegan documentary, we find out that Sarma didn’t pay the Pure Food and Wine employees for five months, leaving them with $40,000 of back pay. But luckily, the former restaurant workers have now gotten paid.

How did Sarma get caught?

When did Sarma Melngailis and Anthony Strangis get caught? Melngailis and Strangis’ long-running fraud came to an end in May 2016, when Strangis ordered a Domino’s pizza with a side order of chicken wings to a Tennessee hotel room. Cops arrested the couple, who quickly turned on one another in court.

Is Sarma still in debt?

After her arrest, Sarma’s prosperous business was shut down, leaving her in debt. Sarma’s net worth was close to $1.5 million when she went to prison.