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Montana Restaurant Sues: Was Made Butt of Jay Leno Joke

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on September 14, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Montana restaurant has sued a publishing company after it was erroneously listed in the yellow pages under "Animal Carcass Removal." The restaurant, Bar 3 Bar-B-Q, says its business has slowed down after the unfortunate misprint.

In fact, the restaurant was even made the butt of a joke during a Jay Leno segment, reports the AP. Leno joked about the listing during his regular "Headlines" segment on the Tonight Show on NBC.

Too bad defamation and negligence lawsuits aren't a laughing matter. Hunter Lacey, the owner of the barbeque restaurant, has sued Dex Media, the publisher of the yellow pages, the AP reports.

Lacey says that his business has lost about $18,254 from 2009 and 2010. And, his restaurant's reputation has been tarnished.

Not to mention the fact that his restaurant received numerous calls from pranksters and from people who legitimately wanted an animal carcass removed, the AP reports.

Lacey is demanding compensation for the lost business. He's also asking for a television commercial to help combat the negative publicity his restaurant has received post-Leno joke.

As it turns out, a scorned Dex Media employee purposefully put Bar 3 Bar-B-Q's phone number in the wrong section of the yellow pages after Lacey didn't purchase an ad from him, the AP reports.

All publicity definitely isn't good publicity. As a barbeque restaurant, Bar 3 Bar-B-Q likely doesn't want to be mistaken as a place that fries up dead animal carcasses they pick up around town. Road kill barbeque doesn't really have the most delicious ring to it.

Will the case make it to trial? Maybe. Bar 3 Bar-B-Q has been trying to settle with the Dex. After the Montana restaurant sued, it contacted Dex wanting to settle for $417,000. The publishing company never took the restaurant up on its offer.

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