Chef Segev Moshe Faces 1.8 Million Shekel Lawsuit Amid New York Expansion
Chef Segev Moshe faces a 1.8 million shekel lawsuit from real estate firm Melisron over unpaid debts at his closed Kiryon mall restaurant, even as he prepares to open his first New York eatery.
Renowned Israeli chef Segev Moshe is facing a dual reality marked by international expansion and domestic legal battles, as his restaurant group navigates a 1.8 million shekel lawsuit filed by real estate firm Melisron.
According to court filings at the Magistrate's Court in the Krayot, the lawsuit was brought against the Segev Express company and CEO Yakov Biton. The legal action centers on the former Segev Express branch at Ofer Kiryon Mall in Kiryat Bialik, which began accumulating debts for rent, management fees, parking, and electricity in 2023 before ultimately closing its doors.
The business relationship between the parties began in March 2016, with Melisron extending a 570,000 shekel renovation loan in 2017. Rent was structured around 7 percent of restaurant turnover with a minimum monthly baseline of approximately 40,000 shekels, excluding management fees. After months of mounting debt, the parties attempted to negotiate a settlement totaling roughly 1.4 million shekels. However, the first payment check of 138,000 shekels bounced in December 2025 due to a bank account attachment.
Following failed negotiations and the encashment of a 215,000 shekel bank guarantee that only partially covered the arrears, Melisron initiated legal proceedings. The troubles at the Kiryon branch follow a broader contraction of Moshe's domestic restaurant portfolio, which has seen closures in Kfar Saba, Rishon LeZion, and Ramat HaHayal, leaving the group with six operational locations, including two under the Segev Express brand.
While facing domestic legal and financial headwinds, Moshe is simultaneously pressing forward with plans to open his first international chef restaurant in New York. Scheduled to open in the coming weeks, the restaurant named Roots 29 will operate inside the newly established Sela V Hotel in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, featuring around 140 seats and a modern North African and Middle Eastern menu inspired by the chef's family heritage.
In addition to the New York venture, reports indicate that Moshe is also eyeing an upcoming restaurant project in Miami, though further details remain under wraps. Despite local closures and pending legal disputes, the chef maintains that he will continue managing his ongoing operations in Israel alongside his new ventures abroad.
