Following an exodus this summer that triggered temporary closures – first at its Lexington location, then at its Irmo location – Alodia's Cucina Italiana has been fined for not paying employees.

A letter provided by the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation details the Lexington location at 101 W. Main St., under investigation by the department since July, has been fined $2,100 for the violation.

The Post and Courier Columbia first reported about the fine.

The citation, provided in the letter, shows that the restaurant failed to pay wages to 18 employees amounting to $4,213.24 in wages during the month of June. According to Lesia Kudelka, communications director and ombudsman for the department, “The employer has 30 days to file a protest, or the citation becomes a final order. By state law, the employer then has another 30 days (so a total of 60) to pay the fine.”

According to owner Adam Huneau, he has reached out to the department regarding their findings, adding that he hasn’t heard anything back yet.

“We did pay the fine already and will review their findings once we receive it,” he told the Chronicle.

The department didn’t immediately respond when asked to confirm whether the fine had been paid.

Alodia’s initially closed its Lexington location the week of June 30 after a since-deleted viral Facebook post alleged that employees at that location hadn’t been paid in two weeks. Huneau disputed these claims when reached by the Chronicle, producing a letter and handwritten ledger from a former general manager stating she paid employees more than $3,000 out of her own pocket and been reimbursed.

The Lexington location reopened July 12, as the Irmo location closed, sending its staff over to the other restaurant. The Lexington restaurant was briefly listed for sale by ERA Wilder Realty in July, but the listing was taken down within roughly a week.

According to Facebook posts, the Irmo location reopened Oct. 17.