OKLAHOMA CITY – A popular restaurant in Oklahoma City suddenly closed its doors, and customers are still trying to figure out why.
For the past two years, the Fuze Buffet along N.W. Expressway in Oklahoma City has been a popular place to eat for families.
Late last week, both Fuze Buffet locations in Oklahoma City closed their doors to the shock of many customers.
Customers who spoke to KFOR said they were stunned by the sudden closure, adding that the restaurants were always busy.
“I was sad. It was a good place to eat,” said Jared Jones, a frequent customer.
However, it may not have been a lack of customers that forced the businesses to close.
KFOR’s partners at OKC Talk uncovered some court documents that may shed some light as to what happened.
A lawsuit claims that, in 2014, the partial owners of Fuze, Shu Wu and Bing Lu, borrowed about $1.3 million from investors. However, the investors claim the owners only used about $550,000 for the business and spent the rest of the money on themselves.
The lawsuit also alleges that the investors didn’t receive any profits from the original Fuze location.
OKC Talk reports the lawsuit claims up to $12 million in missing money.
“Mr. Lu and Ms. Wu deny the allegations in the lawsuit and intend to defend themselves vigorously,” said Evan Chambers, the attorney representing Wu and Lu, in a statement.
According to OKC Talk, documents show the owners of the businesses also owed money to the Oklahoma Tax Commission and TAP Architecture, the company who designed the restaurants.
In addition to those loans, documents show they defaulted on loans for the businesses, totaling about $5.8 million.
An official appointed by a judge to investigate the businesses said he doesn’t believe the restaurant can continue due to the “inability to make timely payroll deposits.”
Lu and Wu also own ‘Taste of China’ in south Oklahoma City. That location is still open and is not a part of the lawsuit.
