OWNERS of a steakhouse chain with restaurants in York and North Yorkshire have asked furloughed staff to lend the business money to help it survive. Tomahawk Steakhouse, which opened a branch off St Helen's Square in York last year, told The Press that all employees had backed a voluntary loan agreement to help cover the employers' National Insurance and pension contributions. The chain has defended its actions after the GMB Union condemned the situation as 'an outrageous abuse of the furlough scheme' which would hit struggling low-paid waiters, pot-washers and cooks. But the company said in a statement that staff had backed the move.