Highlights
- Casey filed suit in Maricopa County Superior Court in April 2026, alleging the Fosters blocked him from reviewing business records and terminated him as general manager in January.
- The Fosters' entity MJR Investments, LLC holds the liquor license; they assumed approximately $2 million in debt when they took a 70% stake in Knife and Spirit 2, LLC in 2024.
- Casey claims he is owed more than $16,000 in back pay plus compensation tied to an $865,000 business loan and $300,000 personal investment.
- The bar closed for one week and reopened as Wayward on May 30, 2026, with the Fosters in control of the rebrand.
The founders of Liquor Pig, the Old Town Scottsdale bar that Phoenix New Times named a Best New Restaurant of 2025, are fighting back against the investors who took majority control of the concept, alleging they were lured into absorbing roughly $2 million in debt and then pushed out of the business they created.
Scott Casey, the bar's founding partner and former general manager, filed a civil lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court in April 2026 against Christina and Christopher Foster. Casey alleges the Fosters cut him out of the restaurant and prevented him from reviewing business records after he was terminated as general manager in January. He is seeking more than $16,000 in back pay, plus compensation tied to an $865,000 business loan and a $300,000 personal investment, according to Phoenix New Times.
Casey and chef Steven "Chops" Smith co-founded Liquor Pig, which opened in March 2025 on Fourth Avenue and Winfield Scott Plaza in Old Town Scottsdale and built a following around creative cocktails, including one served in a Spam tin. The Fosters entered the picture in 2024, acquiring a 70% stake in the operating entity, Knife and Spirit 2, LLC, while Casey and Smith split the remaining 30%. Casey and Smith now allege the Fosters "lured" them into the arrangement knowing the business carried approximately $2 million in debt, per Phoenix New Times reporting.
The Fosters' business entity, MJR Investments, LLC, currently holds the restaurant's liquor license at the Fourth Avenue and Winfield Scott Plaza address. The bar shut down for one week before reopening under a new name, Wayward, on May 30, 2026, with the Fosters controlling the rebrand.
Who holds the liquor license now?
MJR Investments, LLC, the Fosters' business entity, holds the liquor license at the Fourth Avenue and Winfield Scott Plaza location. Casey received a letter after his January termination asserting he had no ownership stake in the restaurant, according to Phoenix New Times.
The lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court; no trial date has been publicly reported.
Where to find them
- Liquor Pig · liquorpigscottsdale.com
- Best New Restaurant · phoenixwanderer.com
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- Phoenix New Times retrieved 16/06/2026 19:56
- Phoenix New Times retrieved 16/06/2026 19:56
- Liquor Pig (official site) retrieved 16/06/2026 19:56
- Best New Restaurant (official site) retrieved 16/06/2026 19:56
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 16/06/2026 19:56. Every claim traces to a source.
