HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Restaurant owners are uniting in a class action lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy, claiming the company’s negligence has cost them business and threatened their livelihoods.
reached out to CenterPoint for comment on the lawsuit but has yet to receive a response. However, the restaurant owners have plenty to say.
Ryan Lachaine, executive chef and partner at Riel Restaurant in Montrose, experienced a full week without power, leaving his 20 employees unable to work.
“Running a restaurant is challenging even in the best of times. When something like this happens, it’s absolutely devastating,” Lachaine said. “We all anticipated that something would eventually go wrong. It’s frustrating because we’re expected to always be prepared, but when it comes time for someone else to do their job, they’re not ready.”
Lachaine is part of a class action suit in Harris County, claiming CenterPoint failed to fulfill its responsibilities. His attorney, Tony Buzbee, highlighted the issue during an interview at his home, which lost power just as the conversation began.
Buzbee stated that the lawsuit will focus on restaurants that have been in business for over a year and lost power for at least 48 hours. He aims to drive action and change through this legal action.
“CenterPoint doesn’t understand their own grid,” Buzbee said. “They clearly haven’t invested in the infrastructure needed to prevent these issues.”
Robin Wong, another restaurant owner, shares this sentiment. Wong owns Luloo’s in Garden Oaks and finds power losses devastating.
“For a city as large as Houston, we can’t keep having these problems. It needs to be fixed,” Wong said. “Losing power just long enough to spoil all the food in your walk-in means having to start over.”
The restaurant owners stress they are not looking for a handout but feel compelled to speak out against ongoing issues.
“As small business owners,” Lachaine said, “we’re tired of being pushed around.”
