Although he runs several successful restaurants including The Lambs Club and The National in NYC, chef/restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is filing for bankruptcy.
The financial move seems inappropriate considering his restaurants are doing well. Zakarian also runs the food and beverage program at the Water Club at the Borgata in Atlantic City, plans to open another restaurant in Miami, along with starring in the Next Iron Chef.
Yet, the celebrity chef is facing a million dollar class action lawsuit filed by 152 kitchen staffers from his failed restaurant Country that claim to have been stiffed in overtime pay, charged for staff meals they never ate and claim Zakarian falsified pay records.
Former partner in Country, Adam Block said:
"I know that Geoffrey Zakarian’s narcissistic behavior and arrogance caused Country to fail and inevitably allowed whatever wage and hour violations occurred while he was Country’s operator."
According to the lawsuit, when one worker confronted the chef about his overtime pay, Zakarian responded, "Go peel some asparagus." Pretty callous for a man who rents a $3 million home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
"Isn’t it interesting that a TV celebrity chef, who opens multiple new restaurants around the country, can file for bankruptcy?" asked the workers' lawyer.
It sure is!
Photo by: Food Network
