California-based Italian restaurant chain Il Fornaio will pay $3 million to settle a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit, according to a news release from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC filed the lawsuit in 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of female employees of the restaurant chain, many of whom were teenagers.
Employees and supervisors across Il Fornaio’s locations — the chain had 20 restaurants in California, Colorado and Nevada in 2022 — allegedly subjected female employees to sexual harassment. According to the news release, employees endured groping in restaurant bathrooms, grabbing of their private parts, requests for sexual favors and explicit references to sexual activities. When the female employees complained, the EEOC alleged, Il Fornaio retaliated against many of them, leading them to resign.
“Il Fornaio takes harassment seriously and will continue to do everything possible to prevent and eliminate harassment in the workplace against all workers,” Il Fornaio said in a statement provided to SFGATE by Il Fornaio director of marketing Matt Foley. “The company prides itself on fostering a positive working environment for its employees, which is reflected in the high number of long-term employees and low turnover rate for the industry.”
Foley’s statement added that Il Fornaio paid the settlement “to avoid the burden, expense, and uncertainty of continued litigation, and has increased its efforts to prevent and eliminate harassment and discrimination of all kinds in the workplace.” Il Fornaio denies the claims in the lawsuit.
“Sexual harassment continues to be a widespread issue in the restaurant industry, and during this case, we learned of at least 100 women negatively affected by Il Fornaio’s work environment,” Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, said in the news release. “Through this settlement, we hope Il Fornaio will take meaningful steps to prevent sexual harassment and respond promptly and effectively when complaints arise.”
Il Fornaio started in Barlassina, Italy, in the 1970s as a baking school and retail bakery, and opened its first retail bakeries in the U.S. in San Francisco and Beverly Hills in 1981. Although he is no longer involved in the business, restaurateur Larry Mindel took over Il Fornaio in 1986 and turned it into a successful chain with restaurants and bakeries across the West Coast. Currently, the Il Fornaio chain is owned by Tokyo-based operator Create Restaurants Holdings and has 15 locations in California and Nevada, according to the EEOC. The Palo Alto location of Il Fornaio, which was once a popular meeting place for Steve Jobs and other tech executives, closed in January after 36 years.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673 in the U.S.
This story has been updated.
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