The Italian restaurant Fenotti in Puebla closed in July 2025 following alleged pressures from its landlords, brothers Emilio and Juan Pablo Kuri Carballo. Owners Carolina Mendoza and Armin Brandel reported intimidation, service cuts, and an eviction lawsuit. Despite winning in court, they chose voluntary withdrawal to avoid forced eviction.
Fenotti opened in San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, after Carolina Mendoza and Armin Brandel signed a lease in March 2024 for two spaces in Riona High Plaza, owned by the Kuri Carballo brothers. The monthly rent was 100,000 pesos. The couple, who invested all their resources, made extensive renovations to a shell space, including gas installations and minimalist decor in black and gold tones.
Despite a 4.7-star Google Maps rating and popularity for fresh pastas, artisanal pizzas, and dishes like beef tenderloin with black truffle—priced from 95 pesos for soups to 785 pesos for specialties—issues arose quickly. The owners faced license hurdles, claiming the plaza withheld required documents. Armin Brandel said: “I think the intention was that we wouldn't get the permits, but despite everything, we did.”
After opening, they accused administrator Rosario Pedraza of turning off lights too early. At six months, an eviction lawsuit began, which the Kuris lost, but pressures persisted: water cutoff by the municipal system, cited for missing permits that tenants blame on the plaza. They installed water tanks, which were destroyed; San Andrés Cholula's Public Security Secretariat clarified they were secured per plaza rules and water was restored days later.
Civil Protection temporarily closed the venue for documentation issues, later overturned in court. Facing threats of forced eviction, Mendoza and Brandel closed voluntarily. On Instagram, they wrote: “We know we're not the first, but with a voice, maybe we'll be the last.” After Juan Pablo Kuri's arrest for family violence, they posted: “Sometimes justice doesn't come when we call it, but time—without haste and without witnesses—arranges things until every act finds its weight and every truth, its place.” No judicial resolution confirms the accusations.
