Restaurants sued over credit card promoRestaurants sued over credit card promo

COLUMBUS Ohio Potbelly Sandwich Works and La Bamba Mexican Restaurants have been sued by Ohio attorney general Marc Dann for participating in a credit card promotion that allegedly violated the state’s Consumer Sales Practices Act.

Two lawsuits were filed against both restaurant companies. Also named as defendants were Citibank and Campus Dimensions, a Pennsylvania promotions company.

According to the suits, fliers posted on the campus of Ohio State University here promised students a free burrito at La Bamba or a free sandwich and beverage at Potbelly. The attorney general asserts the fliers did not mention that students only got the food if they applied for a Citibank-issued credit card or listened to a three-minute promotion.

Ramiro Aguas, a partner in Champaign, Ill.-based La Bamba, said his attorney advised him not to comment on the matter.

Potbelly’s attorney, Matt Revord, similarly declined to comment except to say, “We are a sandwich company, not a credit card company, and we will work through it."

The lawsuits resulted from a partnership between the attorney general’s office and third-year law students at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law.

La Bamba has 27 fast-casual restaurants in five states. Chicago-based Potbelly has around 160 units in 10 states.