Features
Hagar’s Not Cool With Cabo
Cabo Wabo Cantina in Fresno, Calif., has had a successful run since it opened in August but
Hagar, who created the Cabo Wabo brand, is not associated with the club. He licensed the use of the Cabo Wabo name and logo, as well as his name and image, to the company Fresno Rock Taco LLC, which owns and operates the venue.
To help promote the club, Hagar recently played to 1,000 fans at the restaurant in October but is upset with recent reports in the Fresno Bee that Cabo Wabo is part of a development project under financial strain.
The 42-acre Granite Park development, which includes bars and restaurants and may soon be home to a B.B. King Blues Club, includes a non-profit sports and recreation component that is in arrears.
Bank of the West could foreclose on the property, according to the Bee. If the developer does not come up with the loan balance, taxpayers may have to foot the $5.5 million bill, according to the paper.
“Given the controversies reported in media surrounding the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Fresno, I want to be very clear on one point – the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Fresno is not owned or run by me or anyone associated with the Cabo Wabo organization,” Hagar said in a statement.
He added that if the developer, Milton Barbis, doesn’t meet established guidelines for the trademarks, “I am well within my rights to cancel the contract with his company.”
Pollstar has attempted several times to contact the venue since it was first announced in December 2006. Throughout, Hagar’s representatives were clear to note that Hagar was not associated with the club.