Board-level embezzlement Allegation

A board member at one of Chicago’s most expensive restaurants is being accused in court of treating the company like a personal checking account, with the owners saying more than $1.4 million was siphoned out over several years. The lawsuit names Aaron Gersonde and says the money came from the group behind Ever and its cocktail bar, After. (nbcchicago.com) The case was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Four Pillars Restaurant Group and Ever Restaurant Group, and it says Gersonde’s board role gave him access to bank accounts and a company American Express card. The owners say that access was supposed to help him monitor finances, not spend company money on himself. (cbsnews.com) Ever is not a casual neighborhood spot. Chef Curtis Duffy opened it in Chicago’s West Loop in 2020, it holds two Michelin stars, and its business depends on convincing diners paying for eight- to ten-course tasting menus that every detail is controlled. (cbsnews.com) The complaint says the alleged misuse started in 2022 and ran through a mix of credit-card charges, bank transfers, withdrawals, and bookkeeping manipulation. In plain terms, the owners are saying this was not one rogue expense report but a long stretch of repeated access to the company’s cash. (cbsnews.com) The spending described in the suit reads less like restaurant operations and more like a luxury lifestyle ledger. The owners allege charges including about $18,000 at Louis Vuitton, more than $10,000 at Burberry, nearly $200,000 across 2,075 Amazon purchases, and more than $79,000 across 1,219 Uber Eats charges. (abc7chicago.com) (cbsnews.com) The lawsuit also lists travel and entertainment expenses that the restaurant says had nothing to do with running Ever or After. Among the examples reported were more than $48,000 with American Airlines, over $30,000 with Delta Air Lines, more than $28,000 with United Airlines, a Breitling watch costing more than $14,000, and more than $33,000 at a Miami strip club. (abc7chicago.com) (cbsnews.com) The owners further allege company money paid rent for apartments tied to Gersonde’s girlfriend, including more than $43,000 in Denver between August 2024 and May 2025 and more than $56,000 in Atlanta between May 2025 and November 2025. They also accuse him of moving cash directly from company accounts into his personal accounts. (cbsnews.com) Gersonde has publicly denied the allegations. In a statement quoted by ABC7 Chicago, he said he took the claims seriously but said they were “not accurate,” and added that he had been trying to reach a private resolution to protect the staff, guests, and the restaurant’s reputation. (abc7chicago.com) That response matters because this is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal conviction, and the court process will decide what the owners can prove. But even before any ruling, the filing has already dragged a high-end dining brand into the kind of public fight luxury hospitality businesses usually spend years trying to avoid. (nbcchicago.com) (abc7chicago.com) The real pressure point is not whether Ever can still serve a polished tasting menu tonight. It is whether a restaurant built on precision can persuade customers, investors, and employees that the same precision exists in its books, its boardroom, and the people trusted with its money. (cbsnews.com) (nbcchicago.com)