Grumpy Goat Tavern in downtown Des Moines. Photo: Jason Clayworth/Axios
Grumpy Goat Tavern owner Steven McFadden is facing a felony assault charge over allegations he beat his ex-girlfriend and caused her to lose consciousness in July.
Driving the news: McFadden — who owns multiple other metro establishments, including Tipsy Crow and Sambetti's — was arrested Monday, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. He has since been released.
- The arrest comes weeks after his ex-girlfriend, Victoria Davis, accused McFadden of physically and sexually abusing her for several years in a civil lawsuit.
Context: Davis, who was hired by McFadden as a server and bartender in 2018 shortly before they started dating, sued him on Aug. 19. Davis said she and McFadden dated on and off for multiple years.
- They both filed for protective orders against each other last month.
Of note: Davis and her attorney Christopher Coppola didn't respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
- McFadden told Axios Tuesday that he would issue a response in the coming days.
What's next: A preliminary hearing in McFadden's case is Oct. 4.
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