Fatte’s Pizza in Atascadero is closed — and the owner blames a mysterious crime spree
A longtime Atascadero pizza restaurant closed suddenly — and the owner announced the news on Wednesday in a long, bizarre note he taped to the business door.
Fatte’s Pizza, located in Virginia Plaza off El Camino Real, left customers confused after the surprise closure.
Former delivery driver Jeff Simonini told The Atascadero News that employees were sent home without being paid toward the end of January and were told they could have their jobs back when the business reopened.
Owner Darryl Allan still owes money to 10 employees, who don’t know when they’ll receive their checks, Simonini said.
The chain has restaurants throughout California, including locations in San Luis Obispo, Grover Beach and Paso Robles. The eateries are all owned independently and operate separately.
Allan wrote a two-page note explaining the closure and taped it to the Atascadero restaurant’s glass door. It claims Fatte’s is closed temporarily after Allan “made a decision to protect you, the customer, and himself, his staff and the good name of the company.”
Allan alleges there was a data breach of the business bank account, a burglary at his residence and a break-in at his storage unit, all in August.
“At the time, it was it was unclear who was responsible. The appropriate agencies were notified, and an investigation began into all said above,” Allan wrote.
Allan claims “an organization of skilled and hungry con artists” was behind the thefts and stole $500,000 in missing assets, equipment, business income and personal property.
Police deny investigation
The Atascadero Police Department, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were all involved in the investigation, Allan claims.
But Atascadero police Sgt. Jeff Wishusen said the department is not aware of any data breach at Fatte’s.
“The Atascadero Police Department has not had any reported incidence regarding a data breach with (Fatte’s Pizza), nor have we worked with or are currently working with the FBI or Homeland Security on any cases related to the business,” Wilshusen said in an email.
The FBI will neither confirm nor deny an ongoing investigation is taking place, in accordance with official policy, said Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Allan — who says he’s the “victim of identity theft, fraud and a lot more of scandalous crimes” — seems to indicate he closed the business as part of an effort to identify alleged perpetrators.
“The suggestion by law enforcement to close and bring the suspects out of hiding to possibly confront me was a terrifying proposition to me,” Allan wrote.
However, at the end of the note, he claims Fatte’s will reopen this month, “thanks to the patience and tolerance of others.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2020 at 2:41 PM.
