State investigating defunct Raleigh eatery

The North Carolina Department of Labor is investigating complaints against the owners of an upscale Raleigh restaurant.

Prime Only Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, 505 W. Jones St., closed unexpectedly earlier this month. Several workers say previous pay checks bounced and they are owed money.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that it have received six complaints from former employees.

A lawyer for the majority owner of the corporation that owns the restaurant business, Richard Bryant, told WRAL News that the bad economy forced the restaurant to shut down and that there was no money left. The restaurant did not own the property in the Powerhouse Square complex.