Former Upper Crust Owner Working for New South Shore Pizza Shop

While one former Upper Crust owner appears to have some ties to the Lexington Store, a new pizza shop in Hingham is expected to open on Tuesday under the management of another former owner of the embattled pizzeria.

A former Upper Crust owner, who allegedly exploited his former employees, is now working for the new Peel Pizza Company, which will open in its former location in Hingham Square next week. Brendan Higgins, who was a co-owner of Upper Curst when it went bankrupt, is the brother-in-law of Peel Pizza Company’s owner, Matthew Troy. On Thursday, Troy said Higgins will be working for his new pizza business as a manager, but wants no affiliation to the Upper Crust.  “This company is 100 percent owned by me,” Troy said. “It’s 100 percent my investment dollars. We have zero affiliation with the Upper Crust and we would like to keep it that way.” Higgins was a co-owner of the Upper Crust with Joshua Huggard and founder  Jordan Tobins before they …

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Upper Crust: New Owner Says Restaurant 'Will Be Run Better'

The new owners of the Lexington's Upper Crust say the product is the same, but the management is entirely different.

It's new management and new faces for the Upper Crust, as the chain's area locations reopen under new management after being closed for several months. The firm UC Acquisitions purchased the Lexington property in January along with locations in the South End, Watertown and Wellesley during an auction after its previous owners filed for bankruptcy last year. The troubled pizza chain's former owner, Jordan Tobins, was accused of several labor issues including failing to pay employees their wages, allegedly relying on undocumented workers for labor, and using company money for personal use.  Despite reports from some media outlets that the former owner Tobins was connected to the new ownership, Director of Operations at UC Acquisitions Shawn …

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Lawyer For Upper Crust Workers Loses Bid to Buy Lexington Location

A judge reportedly rejected efforts to keep a firm connected to the former Upper Crust owner from returning to the bankrupt pizzeria's storefront.

Weeks after an auction of assets belonging to the now-bankrupt The Upper Crust, an attorney representing former workers at the pizzeria chain reportedly has failed in an effort to buy the now-closed location on Waltham Street in Lexington. The Boston Globe reports that lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan had offered to pay $200,000 more than the offer sale price that had been accepted at auction last month for the Lexington, Wellesley, Watertown and South End locations. The winning bid for those assets came from a firm with ties to the former owners of The Upper Crust. But according to the Globe, bankruptcy Judge Henry Boroff said it was too late for the lawyer's offer since all of Upper Crust’s assets were auctioned on Dec. 19.

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Firm with Ties to Ousted Original Upper Crust Pizzeria Owner Wins Bid for Lexington Store

Wednesday's bankruptcy auction was only of store leases and equipment, not of the Upper Crust franchise rights.

  When Wednesday's auction of the embattled Upper Crust Pizzeria chain was done yesterday, and the smoke (somewhat) cleared, a company with ties to the pizzeria's founder, Jordan Tobins, reportedly had won control of the Lexington store site. The Boston Globe reports that a Ditmars Ltd.  affiliate— a private equity firm connected to Tobins — submitted the high bid of $110,000 for the Waltham Street location. That offer, says the Globe report, is only for the store lease and restaurant equipment, not rights to use the Upper Crust name. The same company also won bids for the Watertown, Wellesley and South End store sites. The attorney representing immigrant workers said to have been cheated out of vast amounts of overtime pay won the bid for…

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Lexington's Upper Crust Closed for Now

The pizzeria chain has closed several locations, and the future is uncertain.

The Upper Crust in Lexington has closed its doors, although it may be temporary. The Boston Globe reports that several locations of the pizzeria chain have shut down, temporarily at least.  The Globe called the Upper Crust in Watertown, where an employee who answered the phone said that restaurant was closed and that the company is undergoing reorganization and "we are closed for at least next couple of days." Upper Crust has been facing financial difficulties, and in September the company defaulted on a TD Bank loan. Company officials filed for bankruptcy protection. The company's troubles also include a U.S. Department of Labor ruling that they owed employees back overtime pay.

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Upper Crust Pizzeria Files for Bankruptcy Protection

The chain of gourmet pizza restaurants, including a Lexington location, filed for bankruptcy and reportedly owes $3.4 million to creditors.

The Upper Crust Pizzeria chain has filed for bankruptcy protection after defaulting on millions of dollars in loans, according to the Boston Globe. The embattled gourmet pizza chain was ordered by the Federal Labor officials to pay overtime to employees, and has been accused of improper use of assests for personal use by executives, and recently shut down some locations, including the Waltham restaurant. The Boston-based company defaulted on a loan to TD Bank in September, and owes $3.4 million to creditors, according to the Globe story. The list of creditors to which chain reportedly owe money, according to documents filed in federal bankruptcy court, includes former attorney general Thomas F. Reilly of Watertown who is owed nearly $230,…

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Reports: Upper Crust Tried to Scheme Workers Out Of Overtime Wages

Upper Crust has locations in Waltham, Brookline, West Roxbury, Lexington, Beacon Hill, Wellesley and Watertown.

Despite being ordered to pay employees previously unpaid overtime, Upper Crust instead attempted to get the money back through illegal means, according to the Boston Globe. The firm, which is embroiled in an internal dispute, allegedly cashed forged checks and cut workers’ pay to recoup $350,000 the federal Department of Labor ordered they pay workers in overtime, according to the Globe. Upper Crust has locations in Lexington, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley and West Roxbury. The revelations are detailed in new court documents filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, June 15 in which the company’s chief financial officer, David Marcus, details the allegations. The overtime scheme contradicts the company’s previous …

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Troubled Lexington Pizzeria's Woes Deepen [POLL]

Upper Crust executives and founder engaged in bitter dispute.

Upper Crust’s woes have reached new heights with court filings showing its co-owners claiming each other has used company money for personal gain, according to Boston.com. The details on the split are revealed in legal documents filed by co-owners Joshua Huggard and Brendan Higgins as well as co-founder Jordan Tobins, according to Boston.com The company is already under federal investigation for labor violations.   Upper Crust has locations in Lexington, Beacon Hill, Brookline, South End, Waltham, Watertown, Wellesley and West Roxbury, according to its website.  As a result of the dispute, Tobins has been placed on administrative leave, according to Boston.com and claimed the co-owners have illegally taken control of the firm. Tobin’s …

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About Town

Udated About Town: Bruins Fever Hits Lexington

Celebrating the Stanley Cup's return to Boston.

If you've never been to a Contra Dance -- or don't know what that means -- now's the time to check it out.  Enjoy frozen fare too at the Ice Cream Social Square & Contra Dance at First Parish Church from 8-11 p.m. Need a lesson in these simple steps? Arrive at 7:e45 and Susan will teach you everything you need to know.  It's easy to learn and lots of fun. Yes, it's something I tried years ago. Maybe again? For more information call Susan Elberger: 781-674-2304 or visit the website.  Posted at 5:45 a.m. this morning... Black, white and gold never looked so good in Massachusetts. After 39 years, the silver, Holy Grail of Hockey, crafted in Canada in 1893, will be an especially nice touch in Boston.   Unless you’ve been living under a rock, …

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