Paseo Has Suddenly Closed in Fremont and Ballard

Paseo has suddenly, shocklingly closed both of its popular Caribbean sandwich shop locations. Would-be lunch customers gathered at the Fremont location earlier today, expressing shock and disappointment while a handful of workers sat inside, drinking beer. They offered little insight into why the restaurant had suddenly closed, noting only "the owner couldn't stay in business" and "it's just closed."

A note on the door of the Fremont location read: "Due to unfortunate circumstances, we are closing our doors. We appreciate all the support and loyalty you have shown us over the years. We will miss you. Thank you, the Paseo Crew."

UPDATE: Could this have something to do with the closure? It turns out there's an alleged dark side to one of Seattle's most beloved restaurants. In September, former employees filed a lawsuit against the Paseo owners, claiming they denied mandatory rest and meal breaks, withheld overtime pay and other wages, and treated some employees differently based on race:

Plaintiffs were treated differently than non-Hispanic and non-Mexican employees in the terms and conditions of their employment. On at least one occasion, a manager told them that he was "told that he was supposed to be hard on you guys" referring to Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs were also discouraged from and/or denied the opportunity to seek medical treatment when injured at work.