Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
July 23, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Much acclaimed celebrity chef Mario Batali has been hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. Two of his employees have taken legal action against him citing unpaid wages at his Babbo restaurant. Stephanie Capsolas and Hernan Ricardo Alvarado filed the lawsuit in federal court on Thursday in which they claim that while working in the celebrated chefs restaurants they were deprived of overtime payments and other wages.

In the lawsuit that has been filed by the two workers, who worked as a kitchen runner and waitress in Mario Batali’s Greenvich village restaurant, it has been alleged that they were forced to share the tips that they received from the customers with other co-workers who were not even entitled to it. D. Maimon Kirschenbaum, the attorney who is representing the two employees have stated to the media that it is indeed extremely sad that an accomplished employer like Mario Batali filled up his pockets with the money that actually belonged to his workers. While revealing details about the factor that led the two employees to take legal action against the well-known chef, attorney Denise A. Schulman divulged that the eatery was taking 4.5 per cent of the wine sales that were taking place each night and was subtracting it from the tip which was taking away that income from the employees and consequently was reducing their pay scale.

The attorneys have further stated that lawsuit seeks damages, the worth of which has not been revealed to the media, for themselves as well as the other employees who are working under the similar situation in Mario Batali’s restaurant.