The chef and co-owner of The Grilled Asparagus in downtown Winston-Salem denied yesterday that he played any role in the circumstances that led to the closing of the vegetarian restaurant after only three weeks in business.
Darryl S. Murray, 48, also denied that he physically abused his former girlfriend, Nanette Reyna of Winston-Salem, and that he abandoned the restaurant while using cocaine. Reyna is a co-owner of the restaurant.
The restaurant, at 239 W. Fourth St., closed Oct. 15, coinciding with the issuing of a domestic-violence protective against Murray by Judge Laurie Hutchens of Forsyth District Court. According to the protective order, Reyna accused Murray of beating her on three occasions.
The alleged assaults consisted of Reyna’s being choked, thrown down and slapped, the protective order said. She said she wasn’t injured.
The Winston-Salem Police Department has an outstanding warrant charging Murray with violating the protective order.
In a telephone interview, Murray denied that he manhandled Reyna.
“I never assaulted Ms. Reyna,” Murray said. “This was just a lie to get me out of the restaurant.”
In a previous interview, Reyna said she invested money in the business because she loved and supported Murray, but their relationship soured, and she broke up with him.
Murray also disputed Reyna’s claim that he abandoned the restaurant for four days earlier this month while using cocaine. He said he doesn’t use any illegal drugs, and that he left the restaurant during that period because he was exhausted from working up to 16 hours a day, preparing for the restaurant’s Sept. 27 opening.
Murray said he and two volunteers painted and repaired the restaurant’s fixtures and cleaned the kitchen and dining room. Afterward, he said, he handled paperwork for the business into the early-morning hours.
Murray denied that he fired any employee when he went to the restaurant Friday. Reyna said Monday that he had hired and fired all the employees.
“The employees quit before I got there,” Murray said.
He said he posted a sign on the restaurant’s front door indicating that the business was closed because of equipment problems.
Jeff Bacon, the executive director of Triad Community Kitchen, removed the restaurant’s stove after lunch was served on Friday, Murray said.
Bacon could not be reached for comment last night.
Murray said he doesn’t know why the restaurant closed.
“I went in business with the wrong person,” he said.
jhinton@wsjournal.com
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