By Andy B. Mayfair
Restaurant owner Ken Friedman needs to get his check book out.
He will be required to pay almost $192,000 to 11 of his one-time employees due to sexual misconduct and a variety of other claims.
His Manhattan restaurant, The Spotted Pig, shut down in the wake of the alleged sexual misconduct as well as allegations of a so-called rape room on the third floor.
The settlement amount was reached before the West Village restaurant closed. Friedman has told the New York Post in an interview that he is on the verge of bankruptcy after having spent his life savings of more than half a million dollars on the restaurant over the past 24 months.
According to the Post, the disgraced restaurateur has already cut a check for $48,000, part of the payment of $240,000 instituted by the deal he struck. The next payment, also $48,000, is required to be submitted on July 1st, and subsequent payments every 6 months.
The high-profile gastropub, located in Greenwich Village at 314 West 11th Street, seated 100. One of its primary investors was famed Chef Mario Batali. It has earned a single Michelin star between 2006 and 2016. It served its last meal on January 26th 2020. In December 2017, Friedman was accused of multiple cases of sexual harassment.
In December 2017, Friedman was accused of multiple cases of sexual harassment in an article published in the New York Times. Friedman subsequently resigned from management duties of their restaurant group. On January 7th of this year, Ken Friedman agreed to pay $240,000 and 20% of his profits to former employees who accused him of sexual harassment and discrimination.
“The accusations were among several levied against prominent food world figures at the height of the #MeToo movement, including former Spotted Pig minority investor Mario Batali,” wrote eater.com. “According to Eater NY, Friedman asked Batali to return those shares last year following the news of the chef’s alleged sexual misconduct. (Friedman redistributed those to restaurant employees.) And yet, Friedman long seemed wedded to maintaining control of the Spotted Pig, even entertaining a partnership with prominent chefs and voices for feminism in the industry Gabrielle Hamilton and Ashley Merriman.”
Friedman noted in a prepared statement: “I love the Spotted Pig and all the staff who helped make it such an iconic place. I’m sorry I did not create a sustainable work environment. Its closing is the saddest thing I’ve had to face in my professional life. I want to thank our loyal employees and devoted patrons, who have been like family.”
