Las Vegas steakhouse chain in crisis as restaurants shut and furious workers claim they are owed thousands in unpaid wages and tips

An upscale steakhouse chain famed for its premium cuts and stylish dining rooms is facing a spectacular fall from grace, with employees claiming they have been left thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Echo & Rig, which operates restaurants in California and Nevada, has permanently closed its Sacramento location, while another site has been locked out by its landlord over unpaid rent.

The chain’s original Las Vegas restaurant has also faced temporary closures, licensing problems and reduced operating hours, raising questions about its future.

The turmoil comes amid allegations that workers have been left with bouncing paychecks, unpaid wages and thousands of dollars in missing tips.

A class-action lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court on November 2 by former employee Micah Bramwell, alleging that staff were not paid properly or on time.

The lawsuit accuses the restaurant and its owner of failing to pay wages, provide compliant pay statements and reimburse necessary business expenses, among other alleged labor violations.

It also claims employees were denied legally required rest breaks and seeks unpaid compensation, penalties, interest and legal fees.

Former workers have also taken to social media to describe their experiences, with some claiming they were left waiting for multiple paychecks.

One former Henderson employee, serving assistant Isaiah Colbert, told KTNV he was owed between $1,500 and $2,000.

He showed reporters notices for two checks that had allegedly been returned, including one for $410 in September and another for $264 in October.

Chef and owner Sam Marvin has acknowledged that the business owes employees money, but admitted it does not currently have the cash to settle the outstanding amounts.

Speaking to KTNV in late October, Marvin estimated the wage shortfall at less than $50,000.

Asked whether the company actually had the money to pay its workers, he gave a blunt response: ‘We do not. We will though.’

Marvin said approximately 81 percent of employees across the three restaurants had been paid in full at the time of the interview.

He blamed the financial difficulties on soaring operating expenses, rising wholesale meat prices and weaker business at the Henderson location.

The latest closure came at the Henderson restaurant inside The District at Green Valley Ranch, where customers were met with locked doors and notices posted across the entrance.

A notice reviewed by the Las Vegas Review-Journal stated that the tenant had been locked out because of delinquent rent payments.

The restaurant’s food service license had also expired on January 31, according to records reviewed by the newspaper, while its liquor license was due to expire on November 30.

The Henderson restaurant opened in 2023, but has now become another casualty of the chain’s mounting problems.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento restaurant inside the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel has permanently closed after eight years of operation.

Although a sign on the door initially suggested the shutdown was for maintenance, Downtown Commons officials reportedly confirmed it was permanent.

The original Echo & Rig opened in Las Vegas in 2013, featuring a butcher shop, charcuterie counter and upstairs dining room with a terrace.

Its doors were padlocked on October 19, with Marvin initially attributing the interruption to a water issue.

The restaurant subsequently reopened, but its opening hours were cut from 11am to 4pm, meaning diners can no longer drop in for lunch.

The unfolding drama has also sparked furious discussion on Reddit, where one user wrote: ‘There was a thread a bit ago, employees weren’t getting paid and their multiple locations are going out.’

Another commenter was less forgiving, saying: ‘I’m never going to a place that I know has failed to pay employees properly.’

Others expressed sympathy for staff, with one former customer describing the situation as a shame because the food had been good.

The Daily Mail has contacted Echo & Rig for comment and is awaiting a response.