Payton's restaurant sues over e-mail

A year ago, Manny Maysonet claimed he found two flies in his salad at Walter Payton's Roundhouse restaurant, then used his city e-mail account to warn people away.

Now, Roundhouse owner Scott Ascher is suing Maysonet for "greatly injuring" the Aurora restaurant's reputation. He's seeking in excess of $100,000 in damages.

Maysonet, assistant director of the Aurora Economic Development Commission, admitted sending an e-mail blast to hundreds of City of Aurora employees after he says he found the flies in his meal Aug. 18, 2008.

Maysonet wrote that the Kane County Health Department would be conducting an "on-site investigation" into "several complaints" of flies in the Roundhouse meals.

But the suit says Maysonet did not contact the Health Department until the next day.

The Health Department conducted an inspection and gave the Roundhouse high marks -- 90 out of 100 and "minimal" flies.

But Ascher said the damage had been done. He said he began to see sales drop after the news hit the papers.