Pallookaville founder ‘saddened to the core’ over stabbing

An employee was allegedly stabbed more than 10 times at Pallookaville in Avondale  Estates. (George Mathis / AJC)

An employee was allegedly stabbed more than 10 times at Pallookaville in Avondale Estates. (George Mathis / AJC)

Days after an attack in which a DeKalb County restaurant employee allegedly stabbed another with a butcher knife, an owner is raising money to help with medical expenses.

James Thomas was stabbed multiple times while working at Pallookaville in Avondale Estates. An owner of the restaurant set up a fundraising campaign for Thomas on Friday. (Credit: GoFundMe)

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James Thomas was out of surgery and stable on Friday, recovering from more than 10 stab wounds he sustained while working at Pallookaville, a corn dog restaurant in downtown Avondale Estates, Jason Cobb Hylton said in a GoFundMe campaign.

Fellow employee Ian Clayton, 27, allegedly wielded a 7-inch blade around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday while customers were eating, according to arrest warrants.

Thomas was taken to a nearby hospital and Clayton was booked in the DeKalb County jail on an aggravated assault charge.

The fundraiser was started by Hylton, a co-owner of the restaurant founded Jim Stacy in 2013.

Stacy sold Pallookaville last December, but stayed on as an employee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

He said selling the restaurant was always part of his business plan.

After the stabbing incident, the celebrity chef said he didn’t have a lot to say.

“I sincerely hope everyone affected is able to heal, find peace and be well,” Stacy told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It saddens me to the core.”

Hylton said any donation would help give Thomas and his family support during the healing process.

Donations can be made at gofundme.com/JamesThomasAid

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