U.S. Foods sues Stew's

Stew's Lucky Spur now faces a lawsuit from a food supplier.

U.S. Food Service has filed in Carson District Court seeking an order to make owners of Stew's pay them for food and services delivered before the sports bar, restaurant and brew pub on Carson Street shut down.

The company's complaint says it is currently owed $11,747.10 for food products and services. In addition, it asks for interest at the rate of 18 percent annually as agreed to in the contract with Stew's.

The action names Stew's owners Robert and Michael Stewart and Scott Johnson.

They purchased the Lucky Spur, which had been shut down some 25 years, in 2004 and completely remodeled it, opening for business in 2005. The city redevelopment authority was so glad someone was fixing what had been a major eyesore, it contributed $100,000 to the renovation project.

But signs of financial problems emerged. Stew's was fined three times beginning in 2006 for failing to pay unemployment insurance premiums to the state, paying a total of $23,817. This year, several former employees filed complaints demanding back wages and the city said Stew's hadn't paid its property taxes for two years and owes $6,714.

Owners put Stew's up for sale in April, asking $3.3 million.

U.S. Food Service is the first vendor to take Stew's to court.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.