Pride of Iowa Sandwiches, Inc., a family-owned business specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches, has filed a lawsuit against Tasty Brands, LLC and its CEO, David Horowitz. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of misappropriating trade secrets and engaging in unfair competition.
The case involves Pride of Iowa’s proprietary grilled cheese sandwich oven and production process, developed by Mason Woods over several years. According to the complaint, Tasty Brands expressed interest in purchasing these trade secrets but later proposed a non-compete clause that would have restricted Pride of Iowa’s operations. When negotiations failed, Tasty Brands allegedly reverse-engineered the technology and began producing similar products. The complaint states that the defendants violated the Defend Trade Secrets Act by breaching a nondisclosure agreement and misappropriating trade secrets.
Pride of Iowa seeks compensatory damages exceeding $500,000 and punitive damages of more than $1 million. The company also requests a permanent injunction to prevent Tasty Brands from using the disputed technology. The lawsuit claims that Tasty Brands’ actions threaten Pride of Iowa’s business by undercutting prices through its distribution system.
The plaintiff is represented by the attorneys of La Reddola, Lester & Associates LLP. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID 2:25-cv-04381.