Mark Bucher, the co-founder of the D.C.-born steak frites chain that’s expanded across four states, is on the butcher’s block for allegedly embezzling money from the company since 2024 by pocketing kickback payments from vendors.
The holding company of
Medium Rare since 2021, Get Some Food Group, is equally controlled by Bucher and the restaurant’s co-founder, Thomas Gregg.
Get Some Food Group alleges that Bucher is abusing his position by rerouting vendor rebate payments to himself, falsely portraying himself as the sole owner of the business when dealing with vendors, and making purchasing decisions to allegedly line his own pockets. The LLC first filed suit against Bucher in the Delaware Chancery Court in June, with an amended complaint filed last week that cites at least one more vendor involved. Eater has confirmed one of them is its New Jersey-based bulk beef supplier, Pat LaFrieda.
“It’s a fake allegation of theft in order to get an improvement in Tom’s bargaining position,” says Venable partner and Bucher’s lawyer Mark Schamel. He’s referring to Bucher’s signed agreement to buy Gregg out of the business earlier this year. Schamel tellsWashingtonian and Eater that Gregg had previously agreed to sell his share of the company to Bucher and a group of investors, then dropped the deal at the last minute while it was in escrow.
“[The lawsuit is] an obvious attempt by Tom to bully Mark out of the restaurant he created,” Schamel says, adding, “Mark is the face and soul of this restaurant,” from the sauces to the French music.
“The company does not intend to discuss confidential settlement discussions, but we disagree with Mr. Bucher’s counsel’s description of what was discussed and why the negotiations ended,” per a statement from the plaintiff’s legal counsel. “Mr. Bucher’s attempt to cast this lawsuit as a personal dispute is a distraction from the serious claims at issue in the Delaware litigation.”
For the life of the restaurant, Bucher has been in charge of directing vendor and supplier purchases for Medium Rare. Then in April, through an invoice-related conversation Gregg had with a vendor, per the complaint, Gregg says he discovered Bucher was receiving payments through a separate channel that only he had access to based on Medium Rare’s volume of purchase orders.
The company seeks an undisclosed amount of monetary damages, forfeiture of alleged ill-gotten gains, and the removal of Bucher as co-manager.
Since its 2011 start in Cleveland Park, the fast-growing chain has expanded regionally (Bethesda, Arlington, Baltimore), along with locations in NYC (Murray Hill), Philly (Fishtown), and Massachusetts (Watertown). The two in Texas (Dallas and Houston) – a pretty packed meat market for a steakhouse – have since closed. Others were reportedly en route to New Orleans and Chicago, but Get Some Food Group says there are no future locations on tap for now.
Medium Rare’s straightforward menu suits budget-conscious diners: For $32.95, dine-in, delivery, or takeout customers get a prix-fixe dinner of rustic bread, mixed greens salad, and a top sirloin steak served with hand-cut fries. The steak is bathed in Medium Rare’ssuper-secret sauce (the recipe is in a bank vault). Bottomless brunch ($34.95) includes that culotte steak or a choice of Benedict, steak and eggs, a breakfast sandwich, and French toast and sausage.
Bucher has a long-time relationship with its main meat purveyor, Pat LaFrieda, which is why the currently inflated cost of steak remains stable at Medium Rare.
Per a rep for the plaintiffs, the next step is the discovery process, which will uncover whether the alleged money-grabbing scheme is evident across the balance of Medium Rare’s U.S. portfolio, which employs 200. Bucher’s counsel claims that any alleged rebates were dumped back into the company, for instance, to open new locations.
“Medium Rare’s corporate expenses, including those submitted by Mr. Bucher, have always been paid and reimbursed when incurred and submitted on behalf of the company,” per the plaintiff’s counsel. “The company is reviewing certain recent bills to ensure the expenditures were in fact for the company’s benefit.”
Bucher is tied to longtime philanthropic endeavors; the restaurant was a superstar during the pandemic, delivering free meals to individuals in need. Bucher is also the founder of the hunger-relief nonprofit Feed the Fridge, which supports hungry school kids and hard-hit restaurants.
“The company did not go to court lightly but instead was compelled to act when it uncovered that he was pocketing vendor rebates — funds that belong to the company,” per the plaintiff’s counsel. “The litigation is one action taken to protect the company from further harm, and the company will continue to act to protect its employees and investors.”
