Restaurant exec charged in theft
Director at Limon accused of embezzling $200,000
The director of operations for popular San Francisco restaurant Limon Rotisserie has been charged with embezzling more than $200,000 from the upscale Peruvian dining establishment.
Lorenzo Castaneda, 29, was arraigned Monday in San Francisco Superior Court on three felony counts of grand theft.
Castaneda, who oversaw Limon Rotisserie’s catering business, is accused of diverting more than $200,000 from the company into his private bank account between February and December of 2016, according to court records.
Castaneda, a Daly City resident, was arrested by police on Oct. 18. He has since been released from San Francisco County Jail on $90,000 bond.
“Our local businesses, big or small, have to be able to rely on those they entrust with their finances,” San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón said Tuesday. “This individual exploited the trust his employer placed in him.”
One of Limon’s owners, who asked not to be named, said he did not want to discuss the case and that Castaneda is no longer working for the company.
Castaneda was hired at Limon in March 2015 and was put in charge of all parts of the catering business, including handling the money, court records show. Part of his job was working with third-party clients that provided meals to Bay Area businesses.
Limon’s owners, though, discovered their books were off, and uncovered the fraud in November of 2016, according to court papers.
Castaneda’s Burlingame attorney, Ryan McHugh, said his client denies all the allegations, and he’s “going to fight the case.”
“We look forward to his day in court,” McHugh said.
In a 2016 interview with Chewse, one of Limon’s thirdparty catering partners, Castaneda described himself as the “right-hand man” of Limon’s owner.
Limon opened its first location on Valencia Street in San Francisco’s Mission District in 2002 and soon grew in popularity as it became known for its bold, seafood-focused fare. In 2008, the restaurant was damaged by fire, but reopened the following year after being renovated.
While Limon’s mothership restaurant was closed, its owners expanded, opening the more casual Limon Rotisserie less than a mile away on South Van Ness Avenue. Limon Rotisserie recently opened a third location in Burlingame.
The company also has a food truck that can be found every week at different locations around the city.