- September 16, 2026
Rose Villa Southern Table and Bar closed Friday, Aug. 28, as restaurant employees voiced unsafe working conditions and withheld wages and tips.
In recent days, posts on social media have circulated citing reports of restaurant employees going a month without receiving earned wages and having customers' tips withheld. Reports also included claims that employees have been working without air conditioning, hot water, and using malfunctioning equipment. Some also alleged "verbal abuse and intimidation" from the restaurant's operator, Patrick Sullivan, of Red Fusion LLC.
Restaurant employees also protested in front of the building.
"This isn't about trying to hurt a local business," one anonymous Facebook post in the Volusia County Community group stated. "In fact, quite the opposite. Rose Villa is a beautiful and historic part of the Ormond Beach community, and many of us genuinely want to see this establishment succeed and be cared for. We want the beautiful place that has been restored to its full potential — but that cannot happen at the expense of the people working inside it.
"Employees should not have to choose between keeping their jobs and speaking up about unpaid wages, missing tips, unsafe working conditions, or mistreatment," the post continued.
The Observer reached out to Sullivan for comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.
The historic Rose Villa, located at 43 W. Granada Blvd., was restored by downtown redeveloper Bill Jones, who owns the property. In a statement, Jones said that the restaurant's closure was "a result of a sudden and undisclosed decision by the proprietor who has the control of the restaurant operations by the terms of a lease with my company."
"I am extremely saddened at this unexpected turn of events," Jones said. "'The Rose' has been an important part of my dream to give rebirth to the grand historic buildings of downtown Ormond Beach. Most importantly, his decision has adversely affected the livelihood of its many loyal employees. I am truly sorry that this has happened and hope they find some recourse from the Red Fusion, LLC."
On Saturday, Aug. 29, around 2:15 p.m., Jones' assistant contacted police after an antique glass window at the restaurant was found broken. The damage was estimated at $300, according to a police incident report.
While Jones owns the building, he doesn't control the operation of the restaurant.
"However, please know that I am immediately beginning a refreshing of the building to bring it back to the high standards that the public came to know and respect," Jones said.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help Rose Villa's employees. According to the fundraising page, employees worked without pay for three weeks. They were promised to be paid on Friday, Aug. 28, but logged onto the pay portal to find it had been shut down.
