Frequently Asked Questions

This notice is to tell you about the settlement of a class action lawsuit, Alexander Garner v. Aramark Management Services LP brought on behalf of people who bought food, beverages, or other items from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a 3% “venue fee” between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. You received this notice because you may be a member of the group of people affected, called the “class.” This notice gives you a summary of the terms of the proposed settlement agreement, explains what rights class members have, and helps class members make informed decisions about what action to take.

Read this notice to understand the settlement and to determine if you are a class member. Then, decide if you want to:

Read on to understand the specifics of the settlement and what each choice would mean for you.

Your deadline to object or opt out: December 4, 2026
Settlement approval hearing: January 15, 2027 10:00 AM ET
Your deadline to submit a claim form: December 4, 2026

In 2025, a putative class action lawsuit was filed against Aramark. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of individuals who bought food, beverages, or other items from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a 3% “venue fee” between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. The lawsuit claims that Aramark charged this 3% “venue fee” on food and beverage purchases at Capital One Arena, allegedly without disclosing the fee, in compliance with the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Aramark denies any wrongdoing, fault, or liability in the action.

In 2026, the parties agreed to settle, which means they have reached an agreement to resolve the lawsuit. Both sides want to avoid the risk and expense of further litigation.

The settlement is on behalf of the class members who bought food, beverages, or other items from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a 3% “venue fee” between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. The Court has not decided this case in favor of either side.

The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the settlement. The hearing will be held at:

Where: Courtroom 130, Superior Court of the District of Columbia, 500 Indiana Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20001.

When: 10:00 AM ET on January 15, 2027.

The Court has directed the parties to send you this notice about the proposed settlement. Because the settlement of a class action decides the rights of all members of the proposed class, the Court must give final approval to the settlement before it can take effect. Payments will only be made if the Court approves the settlement.

You don’t have to attend, but you may at your own expense. You may also ask the Court for permission to speak and express your opinion about the settlement. If the Court does not approve the settlement or the parties decide to terminate the settlement, it will be void and the lawsuit will continue. The date of the hearing may change without further notice to members of the class. To learn more and confirm the hearing date, go to www.VenueFeeSettlement.com.

The settlement pays money to class members who bought food, beverages, or other items from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a 3% “venue fee” between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025.

Aramark has agreed to pay $4,500,000 into a non-reversionary settlement fund. This money will be divided among the class members and will also be used to pay for costs and fees approved by the Court, including the cost of administering this settlement (expected to be approximately $74,985). Each class member who submits a valid claim will receive a pro rata share of the Net Settlement Fund — the money remaining after Court-approved administrative costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and any service award are deducted. Members of the settlement class will “release” their claims as part of the settlement, which means they cannot sue Aramark or other parties referred to in the settlement agreement for the same issues in this lawsuit. The full terms of the release can be found in the settlement agreement.

If there is money left over after the claims process is completed, it will be donated to a cy pres recipient, Public Justice.

The Settlement Class includes all individuals in the United States who made a purchase from Aramark at Capital One Arena and paid a Venue Fee between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2025. If that describes you, you are part of this settlement.

There is no fixed per-person amount. Each class member who submits a valid claim will receive a pro rata (proportional) share of the Net Settlement Fund, based on the total number of valid claims. The Net Settlement Fund is the $4,500,000 settlement fund minus Court-approved administrative costs, attorneys’ fees and expenses, and any service award. The more valid claims that are submitted, the smaller each individual payment will be. Payments will be made by Venmo, PayPal, direct deposit, Zelle, or paper check.

You have four options. You can stay in the settlement and submit a claim, you can opt out of the settlement, you can object to the settlement, or you can do nothing. This chart shows the effects of each option:

*You can object to the settlement AND submit a claim form to receive payment

If you wish to receive money, you must submit a completed claim form to the Settlement Administrator online or download a claim form at www.VenueFeeSettlement.com and mail to the Settlement Administrator (address below).

In a class action, the court appoints class representatives and lawyers to work on the case and represent the interests of all the class members. For this settlement, the Court has appointed the following individuals and lawyers.

Your lawyers: Katherine Aizpuru and Peter Silva, Tycko & Zavareei LLP; and Wes Griffith and David McGee, Almeida Law Group LLC. These are the lawyers who negotiated this settlement on your behalf.

If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Lawyers’ fees and costs will be paid from the Settlement Fund. You will not have to pay the lawyers directly.

To date, your lawyers have not been paid any money for their work or the expenses that they have paid for the case. To pay for some of their time and risk in bringing this case without any guarantee of payment, your lawyers will request, as part of the final approval of this Settlement, that the Court approve a payment of up to one-third (33.33%) of the $4,500,000 settlement fund in attorneys’ fees plus the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.

Lawyers’ fees and expenses will only be awarded if approved by the Court as a fair and reasonable amount. You have the right to object to the lawyers’ fees even if you think the settlement terms are fair.

Your lawyers will also ask the Court to approve a payment of up to $5,000 to the Class Representative, Alexander Garner, for the time and effort they contributed to the case. If approved by the Court, this will be paid from the Settlement Fund.

You can opt out. If you do, you will not receive payment and cannot object to the settlement. However, you will not be bound or affected by anything that happens in this lawsuit and may be able to file your own case.

To opt out of the settlement, you must send a written request that is postmarked no later than December 4, 2026 to the Settlement Administrator at:

Venue Fee Settlement Administrator
PO Box 1268
Baton Rouge, LA, 70821
(844) 659-2531

Be sure to include the name of the case (Alexander Garner v. Aramark Management Services LP, No. 2025 CAB 007444), your name, address, telephone number, and signature, and say something that clearly states you want to opt out, such as, “I hereby request that I be excluded from the proposed Settlement Class.”

If you disagree with any part of the settlement (including the lawyers’ fees) but don’t want to opt out, you may object. You must give reasons why you think the Court should not approve it and say whether your objection applies to just you, a part of the class, or the entire class. The Court will consider your views. The Court can only approve or deny the settlement — it cannot change the terms of the settlement. You may, but don’t need to, hire your own lawyer to help you.

To object, you must file a written objection with the Clerk of Court that:
(1) is filed with the Clerk of Court by December 4, 2026;
(2) includes the case name and number (Alexander Garner v. Aramark Management Services LP, No. 2025 CAB 007444)
(3) includes your full name, address and telephone number, and email address (if you have one);
(4) states the reasons for your objection;
(5) says whether either you or your lawyer intend to appear at the final approval hearing and your lawyer’s name;
(6) your signature.
Mail the letter to:

If you do nothing, you will not get any money, but you will still be bound by the settlement and its release provisions. That means you won’t be able to start, continue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Aramark about the issues in this case. A full description of the claims and persons who will be released if this settlement is approved can be found in the settlement agreement.

This notice is a summary of the proposed settlement. The complete settlement with all its terms can be found here. To get a copy of the settlement agreement or get answers to your questions:
• contact your lawyer (information below)
• visit the case website at www.VenueFeeSettlement.com
• access the Court’s public records system online or by visiting the Clerk’s office of the Court (address below).