Lemongrass Grill

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/thai-restaurant-accused-of-underpaying-labor/

Thai Restaurant Accused of Underpaying Labor
By A. G. Sulzberger

The owner of a downtown Thai restaurant was accused on Monday of underpaying restaurant workers by a total of $770,000 over the last six years, sometimes as little as $2.08 an hour.

Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court seeking back wages as well as $192,000 in damages, from Hann Low, the owner of two Lemongrass Grill restaurants in the city.

“Mr. Low knowingly paid his employees illegally low wages, and failed to keep proper records of hours and wages as required by law,” a press release issued by the attorney general’s office said.

Lemongrass joins a growing list of restaurants accused of cheating employees out their wages in recent months, joining among others Ollie’s Noodle Shop, the “21″ Club, and he upscale Midtown Italian restaurant Remi. In March, the owner of Ollie’s agreed to pay $2.3 million to 813 workers in what was called the largest amount collected in a single case of minimum-wage and overtime violations.

According to former employees, Mr. Low paid delivery workers just $25 a day for 10 to 12 hour shifts at his restaurant at 84 William Street in the financial district, the complaint says. The food preparation workers at the location made about $50 a day for 12-hour shifts.

The investigation is continuing and includes a second Lemongrass location on the Upper West Side. The third Lemongrass Grill, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is now owned by Mr. Low’s former wife, according to the attorney general’s office.

Once Mr. Low became aware of the investigation he began paying his employees more, though still less than required under law, the attorney general’s office said. Mr. Low did not respond to a phone message left for him at the Lemongrass Grill.