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Jay-Z, one of my favorite all-time rappers, opened the exclusive 40/4o sports bar, lounge and restaurant in 2003 because, in his words, “I love sports and wanted to create an environment that is conducive to my lifestyle, while being able to watch the games at the same time.”
The club’s name comes from the exclusive 40/40 stat in baseball, when a player gets 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same year. Only four players in the history of baseball have ever accomplished that feat, Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jose Canseco (1988) and the newest fourth member, Alfonso Soriano (2006).
According to court papers obtained by TMZ Jigga and the company that owns the place are being sued by the wait staff claiming that they weren’t even paid minimum wage and that tips were illegally withheld.
Celeste Williams, a former “server” at the swank 40/40 Club, accuses the music mogul and the company that owns the joint, Twenty Ones, Inc., of not even paying her minimum wage. She also alleges that the club held back tips from servers and that she got stiffed for overtime she worked. What’s more, Williams’ lawyers say in the complaint that there are “more than 100″ other 40/40 employees who will join the lawsuit. Williams is seeking unspecified damages.
I just got off the phone with the 40/40 club and with their PR people Ron Berkowitz. I have waited tables in the past and know that restaurant owners can suck ass and treat you like a slave but a waitering gig in Manhattan is usually a pretty good gig to have.
I found out that the 40/40 club includes a 20% gratuity on all of its checks. That’s a high included gratuity and I find it had to believe with the prices at that place that this chick wasn’t making minimum wage. The restaurant isn’t required to pay minimum wage, you just have to average at least minimum wage with your tips figured in.
Hova, my man, if I wasn’t currently the Jay-Z of blogging, I’d totally let you hook me up with a waitering gig at your place. Seriously, Jay, call me, let’s do lunch.
—admin
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One Comment
1. br
Want a neat little picture by your comments? Get one here.i think the bigger issue is tip sharing without the consent of the wait staff and/or with staff that shouldn’t share in it (kitchen & mgmt). i’m sure they end up over the minimum wage (unless jay-z is losing tons of $$ on the place, which i highly doubt). if their claim that management is holding back a percentage of tips is accurate, i’d think the case would be a slam dunk.
here’s a story about a similar recent lawsuit against an nyc institution..apparently these suits are all the rage now.
http://www.chelseanow.com/cn_23/oldhomesteadlawsuit.html
Posted Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 10:02 am | Permalink
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