Employees from three Austin restaurants operated by Flavor Hospitality Group are raising concerns about allegedly unpaid wages ahead of the holiday season, according to a GoFundMe posted Saturday morning. Staff from Gusto Italian Kitchen, Gina’s on Congress and Gràcia Mediterranean claim multiple payroll checks were returned unpaid before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The GoFundMe organizer, beverage and operations manager Christian De La Fuente, wrote that Flavor Hospitality Group owner Cameron Lockley has not responded to calls and messages since the incident.
“This fundraiser exists for one reason: to help make workers whole,” De La Fuente wrote in the GoFundMe. “Every dollar raised will go directly toward paying the wages owed to the staff and contractors who were affected … who relied on this income and were blindsided at the worst possible time of year.”
Gina’s employee Deven Mollinedo shared an internal message with the American-Statesman stating that Lockley would be stepping down from Flavor Hospitality Group following a sudden medical emergency and that all restaurants would be going through a “restructuring plan.” The message said the restaurants would be closed Dec. 25 through Jan. 2.
De La Fuente and Flavor operations director Amy Sherman spoke with investors in the three restaurants, all of which are under different LLCs, De La Fuente told the Statesman. Sherman said the passive investors from Gina’s on Congress said they did not have any money to give and that they had lost money as well, since their investment was paid up front.
On Gusto Italian Kitchen’s social media post announcing the hiatus, one commenter criticized the lack of notice to patrons with existing reservations.
“We had a reservation for Saturday night 27. We never got a cancellation email or call. We arrived and no cars but the lights were on. We walked in and not one person in sight. No one there but the door was unlocked. We then saw the closed sign. I was about to call the police to make sure everything was ok.”
According to De La Fuente, Lockley has since resurfaced saying he is willing to help and apologized to Sherman, saying that he “found himself in a hole.” She added that employees from all three restaurants have filed $20,000 in lost-wage claims with the Texas Workforce Commission.
De la Fuente said Lockley repeatedly lied to staff by saying there were no issues. Lockley was the only person who controlled bookkeeping and payroll, he said. Sherman and Lockley are scheduled to speak through their lawyers Monday.
The Statesman has reached out to Flavor Hospitality Group for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
As of Monday morning, the GoFundMehad had raised $160 toward its $25,000 goal.
Dining and Cooking