Beatrice Inn Accused of Unpaid Wages in New Lawsuit

Rising star chef Angie Mar and her meat-fueled West Village hotspot The Beatrice Inn are being sued for not properly paying staff.

The lawsuit, as first reported by the Post, was ironically filed the same day that the Times published a lengthy profile on Mar with an emphasis on her attempt to change kitchen culture and quotes saying that staff “loved her.”

According to the complaint filed on Tuesday afternoon, a former bartender named Dmitry Gurvitis — who worked at the restaurant for about four months last year — claims that he earned the lower, tipped minimum wage even though more than 20 percent of his work duties included tasks that did not lead to tips. He names work like ironing tablecloths, folding napkins, cutting lemons, and stocking the bar with supplies like straws and juices. Gurvitis also accuses Mar of distributing tips to people who do not qualify for them, such as bar managers, and of not paying overtime wages.

He is attempting to make it a class action lawsuit covering at least 50 people and is suing for an unspecified amount of money. See the full complaint below.

In a statement to Eater, Mar denied the allegations. “We have always done everything by the book,” she said. “I look forward to defending my position.”

Mar took over The Beatrice Inn from previous owner Graydon Carter back in August 2016. The Spotted Pig and Andrew Tarlow empire alum quickly gained prominence in the New York City dining scene for her unabashed obsession with meat. By October, Pete Wells at the Times awarded it two stars, and Mar started making lists of top chefs in the country. Most recently, the Times ran a profile on the chef and her rising stardom on Tuesday. The new wage lawsuit was filed at 4:46 p.m. the same day.

Wage lawsuits like this are common in the restaurant industry. Dan Barber at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Danny Meyer at Gramercy Tavern, and the Singhs at Babu Ji have all settled such lawsuits in the last year.

• Beatrice Inn’s head chef is in hot water over alleged wage theft [NYP]