Mario Batali's Restaurant Group Settles Lawsuit For $2 Million

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The restaurant group of disgraced restaurateur Mario Batali has agreed to pay more than $2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit.

The B&B Hospitality Group’, owned by Batali and his partners Joe Bastianich and Lidia Bastianich, have said they will pay $2.15 million to settle a lawsuit filed by one of their restaurant's former servers last year. The proposed settlement is still pending final approval by a judge.

Employees at Babbo, Becco, Del Posto, Esca, and Felidia, some of Batali's most recognized restaurants, are eligible to be included in the settlement. An estimated 1,300 people can get a piece of the payout. The lawsuit's class includes non-managerial front-of-house employees at the five restaurants, including servers, bartenders, bussers and other employees.

Hector Jara, the lawsuit's named plaintiff, accused Batali, his business partners, and five of his restaurants of illegally underpaying him and other employees like him. Jara worked at Felidia in Midtown for about 18 months, and said he worked 55-hour weeks while only getting paid for 45-hour weeks.

The B&B Hospitality Group agreed to the settlement without admitting any wrongdoing, and they have denied Jara's allegations.

Batali stepped down from day-to-day operations of the company after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment and groping. In December, Eater published multiple investigations detailing years of accusations against Batali. The women told Eater that Batali had groped or inappropriately touched them over the last 20 years. Other people said they had heard similar rumors of the chef's aggressive and inappropriate behavior with women.

In a separate investigation by the New York Times, employees at the popular Village restaurant The Spotted Pig said they called Batali the "red menace" because of his inappropriate behavior at the restaurant's private top floor. One employee at The Spotted Pig said that at a private party she saw Batali groping and kissing a woman who appeared to be unconscious.

"Though I don't remember these specific accounts, there is no question I have behaved terribly," Batali told the Times last year. "There are no excuses. I take full responsibility and am deeply sorry for any pain, humiliation or discomfort I have caused."

Image credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF