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The co-owners of one of North Carolina’s most acclaimed barbecue spots are entangled in a lawsuit over that restaurant’s expansion plans.
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Last week, Prime Barbecue co-owner Fred Von Canon filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court against pitmaster and majority owner Christopher Prieto, alleging he was cut out of plans to expand the acclaimed restaurant brand into RTP.
In 2024, Prieto announced plans for Prime STQ, an upscale steakhouse drawing on barbecue techniques and expanding the Prime brand. Then last month, Prieto announced a new high-profile partner in Prime STQ, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin. (Slavin is not a defendant in the suit.)
Prime Barbecue and its corporate name Smoke & Embers are co-owned by Von Canon and Prieto, who split the business 48-52, respectively.
Perhaps less well known than his pitmaster partner, Von Canon is a Navy veteran and founder of Maverick Solutions, a workplace training software company. He also ran unsuccessfully in the 2024 Republican primary for North Carolina’s Congressional District 13 and previously for a North Carolina House seat.
Von Canon alleged in the suit that he financed and built Prime’s Knightdale restaurant and that that ownership split was still in place when plans were made for Prime STQ at Horseshoe at HUB RTP, including a $26,523.33 security deposit with the development, paid in 2024.
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Then, earlier this year, Von Canon said he and Prieto began to disagree about Prime Barbecue, court filings show, and that Prieto attempted to buy out his 48% stake in the business, which was offered at $115,000. Von Canon refused to sell his shares.
Since it opened in 2020, Prime Barbecue has been one of North Carolina’s most celebrated barbecue restaurants, collecting Michelin Bib Gourmand honors, numerous magazine mentions and the top spot in The News & Observer’s Triangle barbecue rankings.
Prieto denied the allegations in the lawsuit in a statement to media and suggested he and Von Canon had an agreement to take any business disagreements to arbitration instead of civil court.
“Prime Barbecue has been the focus of my professional life, and our team remains focused on serving our guests and moving the business forward,” Prieto said in a statement. “I dispute the allegations and remain confident in my position. Prime Barbecue and Prime STQ continue to move forward.”
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This story will be updated with new developments.
This story was originally published October 14, 2026 at 4:33 PM.