Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen says the state owes it nearly $2.6 million. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.)
OKLAHOMA CITY – A barbeque restaurant chain that once operated locations in six state parks says the state owes it nearly $2.6 million.
In a motion filed Monday, Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen is asking an Oklahoma County district court to make the state pay.
The State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department in April 2022 sued Swadley’s for breach of contract stemming from its remodeling of six restaurants in state parks.
After Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the lawsuit and the resignation of the agency’s director, Jerry Winchester, Swadley’s countersued.
“Gov. Stitt and Lt. Gov. (Matt) Pinnell self-servingly supported Tourism’s lawsuit so that neither candidate would have to address this political hot potato in an election year,” according to the legal brief.
Stitt and Pinnell were both reelected on Nov. 8, 2022. Pinnell provided oversight and instruction to the company, said Bryan King, a Swadley’s attorney.