Fashion Cafe
Fashion Cafe was an international restaurant chain that was based in New York City which featured celebrity models and had locations in the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Mexico, and Spain. Francesco Buti and Tommaso Buti founded the restaurant in 1995 and were later arrested in Italy for fraud, bankruptcy, and money laundering in 1998. The business was initially fronted by super models Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Christy Turlington. The "Associated Press" called the chain "a couture version of Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe." History. The chain first opened in Rockefeller Center , New York City in 1995. On Monday May 6, 1996, construction began on the London branch of the chain, though the London branch went bust in 1999, a year after it opened. The London and New York locations became the primary locations of Fashion Cafe. Fashion Cafe encountered difficulties from the beginning. Matt Haig, author of "Brand Failures", said that "The connection between models and food was not an obvious one, and 'fashion' was not a theme that made people feel hungry." A writer for the "San Francisco Chronicle" commented in 1995 that food was bad and the concept lacks  in "dining sophistication" while Ruth Reichl wrote in the "New York Times" that the food was "surprisingly decent" and that the cafe was "just another theme-park restaurant with an animated environment and a store on the side." Once the chain encountered difficulties, Campbell and MacPherson accused Tommaso Buti of stealing US$10,000 a day from company's money to cover debt for his personal lavish playboy lifestyle, after asking the two to invest in the chain. Schiffer withdrew from the venture, blaming old issues with Campbell. The Rockefeller Center Fashion Cafe closed in 1998. On December 11, 2000 the  Federal Government of the United States filed charges against the founders, accusing them of conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering. Brothers Tommaso and Francesco Buti were each charged in New York State and Milan with 35 counts of wire fraud, 14 counts of stolen property transportation, 1 count of money laundering and 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and to transport stolen property in interstate and foreign commerce. They had faced fines and prison terms of 5 to 20 years on each count. Tommaso Buti was granted a full pardon by President Donald Trump on 19 January 2021 before  being tried on any charges.