The Fresno City Attorney’s Office is investigating multiple claims of unpaid wages after a local barbecue restaurant, Horn BBQ, shut down and was evicted from its location just five months after opening.
The restaurant, which boasted multiple locations across northern California before its entry into Fresno, has come under withering financial trouble and a rash of closings.
The backstory: Horn BBQ’s owner, Matt Horn, grew up in Fresno before gaining national recognition and returning to open his fourth restaurant—the first in the Central Valley—in January.
- In March, trouble surfaced at a pair of his locations.
- Horn’s Lafayette location reportedly had an eviction notice on its door and had its liquor license suspended.
- The property owner for the Elk Grove location told the San Francisco Chronicle that Horn had several months of unpaid rent.
- Horn had a similar eviction notice at his Fresno location near Granite Park earlier this month.
Driving the news: Santino Capps, a Fresno State student and former employee, told KMPH Fox 26 his experience at Horn BBQ quickly soured when his first paycheck bounced.
- “Things started becoming a little weird, my first paycheck ended up bouncing on me,” Capps said. He was eventually paid in cash, but said subsequent checks also bounced.
- “It took like almost about a week until they Venmoed me my last check,” said Capps, who said he pushed to be paid for his work. The payroll issues reportedly coincided with the business’s eviction.
- The California Department of Industrial Relations confirmed that 11 wage claims have been filed against Horn Barbecue at its Oakland, Sacramento and Fresno locations.
What they’re saying: The Fresno City Attorney’s Office said the matter is under investigation after the case was referred by the state agency…