Worker violently punched during robbery at Midtown restaurant

MIDTOWN, N.Y. (WABC) -- Police are investigating after a violent robbery at a Midtown Manhattan restaurant.

It happened Wednesday afternoon at Printon 56 on West 56th Street near Sixth Avenue.

A worker at the restaurant told Eyewitness News that the robber came in and punched a worker, knocking him out cold. The robber then jumped the counter and stole money from the cash register.

The encounter started like any other on a busy workday in the Midtown lunch rush.

A man in a pink hoodie apparently asked the clerk for some help filling out lottery tickets.

The conversation continued for more than 20 seconds, and the man handed the tickets to the clerk, starting to walk away.

But then out of nowhere, he sucker-punched the clerk in the face. The victim went down hard, as the suspect reached over him and grabbed handful after handful of Quick Pick tickets, stuffing them in his backpack and leaving the store.

Krishnendo Dey is the clerk, who says he actually lost consciousness for about a minute before his co-workers came to his aid.

"I had him sit down, put ice on his head, drink some water," said Andrea Singer, the owner of Printon 56, a deli and newsstand at 56th off Sixth, and says she's glad her cameras captured the crime to help give police something to work with.

Paramedics checked out her clerk, who she says was clearly very lucky.

"Thank God he's recovered and he's okay but it's scary for the next person this is gonna happen to, it's very upsetting. Very unsettling," said Singer.

The NYPD is at the restaurant and is reviewing surveillance video.

Stay with abc7NY for the latest on this developing story.