"The money, they said, might not be there to continue operation. Payroll was in question, following months of uncertainty, and to make matters worse, they'd discovered two tax liens filed by the state of California against the restaurant for a total of $530,000, related to loans against the business taken out by the owner and principal investor, Stephen Light. A collections notice had arrived in December."
"Ha and LaFountain didn't want their staff to run the risk of working without getting paid, and, frustrated with what they described as a lack of communication from Light, they made the decision to stop operations. Horses closed unceremoniously, not even five years into its run as both an A‑list clubhouse and a hub for scandal: In 2023, the restaurant's founding couple - chefs Liz Johnson and Will Aghajanian - began divorce proceedings."
Two days before Christmas, Horses staff were told payroll might not be covered and that two California tax liens totaling $530,000 tied to owner Stephen Light's loans had been filed, accompanied by a collections notice. Head chef Brittany Ha and general manager Steve LaFountain halted operations to avoid unpaid labor amid reported communication failures from the owner. Horses, opened in 2021 and once an A‑list venue, experienced revenue declines after 2023 scandal tied to the founders' divorce and animal‑abuse allegations, moving from profit in 2024 to losses in 2025 and facing a rent increase at lease renewal.
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