Sammy Hagar sues to stop unauthorized Cabo Wabo Cantina location

Sammy Hagar is fighting to close down an unauthorized franchise of his Cabo Wabo Cantina restaurant in Hollywood, California.

Lawyers for the former Van Halen frontman's company, Red Head Inc., filed a lawsuit in January claiming franchisee Robert Azinian opened a new Cabo Wabo location in December 2023, despite having his licensee deal with the company terminated.

“The Cabo Wabo brand is highly distinctive and has achieved recognition with the consuming public as being associated with premium quality goods and services,” read the original suit. “Every day that the Cabo Wabo Cantina at the new Hollywood location continues to operate under the ‘Cabo Wabo’ brand, it soils the name, reputation, and goodwill that Red Head has developed.”

In new documents filed earlier this month, the lawyers have asked the court to grant an injunction to stop Azinian from using the Cabo Wabo name, or Hagar's name and likeness, for the restaurant.

Hagar’s lawyers argue that due to the unauthorized use of the name, the rocker’s company “has no oversight, control, or even visibility as to the quality” of the restaurant, in areas like staffing, décor and more, which is causing confusion with patrons.

Hagar opened the original Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 1990, and has gone on to open several other locations across the U.S.