A Cova licensee launched a High Court writ yesterday to prevent the firm's sacked executive chef from replicating its trademark dishes after he opened his own restaurant and allegedly told customers he could teach them Cova secrets.
First Model Limited, an Italian company which is a Cova S. r. l. licensee, stated in the nine-page writ it had lost more than $4.78 million in sales while Giovanni Battista Lacalendola spent time away from the company's restaurants in Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, and Pacific Place, Admiralty.
The writ further stated that from April 12 this year, Mr Lacalendola had become a shareholder and director of Panevino Limited, which operates the Panevino restaurant in Mid-Levels.
He was summarily dismissed as Cova's executive chef on July 1 this year. His contract was not due to expire until July 31, 2004.
In 1997, Mr Lacalendola was recruited by Cova, which runs a chain of coffee shops and restaurants, to create a menu to reflect a 'rich history' that could be traced back to a corner of Milan's Piazza Della Scala in 1817.
But according to the writ, earlier this year Mr Lacalendola presented himself as chief chef at Panevino and represented to customers there that he could replicate Cova dishes and teach people how to make them.