The employees of a debt-ridden restaurant have continued running the business even though their boss has vanished, reports Guangzhou Daily.

The 170-strong staff of Huilong Restaurant remained cool-headed after finding their boss had run off, owing them some 463,000 yuan (US$55,780) in wages and more than 1 million (US$120,820) in rent, utility and other bills.

They voted for five representatives to monitor the accounts and keep the restaurant running.

After deducting operation costs, they divided the remaining revenues and pay themselves from 30 to 80 yuan (US$3.60-9.70) a day.

The "self-rescue" operation lacks legal grounds, however.

The employees should have the restaurant liquidated as debtors because Chinese law sets unpaid wages as a priority debt, said Liu Shihui of the Guangzhou Hongmian Law Firm.

But there is a better chance of selling the restaurant while it is still in operation, said Chen, a staff representative.

The priority to collect overdue wages is meaningless if nobody is willing to put down cash to buy the business, she said.

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