UPDATE 3/1/19

Sample was back in Chemung County Court March 1. His lawyer requested an extended adjournment to properly research the case.

Sample is due back in court March 28.

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Former restaurant owner Andrew Sample is back in the courtroom once again Friday, Feb. 8.

His court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Chemung County Courthouse. It will be a status conference, where the judge will set future dates and get updated information on the case. 

Sample is facing charges of grand larceny for allegedly failing to pay his employees of the now-closed restaurant “Sample This Barbecue.” Those charges stem from his most recent court appearance in January.

Court documents state that Sample owes his employees thousands of dollars in back pay. 

He is also facing theft charges in a separate case – Adecco, an employment service out of Corning, claims Sample owes them $99,000. 

“Sample This Barbecue” shuttered its doors in August of 2018. Employees maintain that they were not made aware of the plans to close the restaurant ahead of time. 

“He told us prior to hiring us that he would give us a two week notice if anything happened and that the employees would be paid first,” said one employee  back in August. “Sunday night we got a text asking me if I could cover the Tuesday and Wednesday shift. I said yes, and then Monday morning comes along and I hear the business is closed.”

About a week before he officially announced the restaurant’s closure, Sample was in court facing yet another set of theft charges after a food supplier claimed he failed to pay for its services.