Business & Tech
James Beard-Nominated Chef Sues Baltimore's Alma Cocina Latina: Report
Chef David Zamudio is suing the owners of the popular Station North restaurant for fraud, claiming they tricked him into staying there.
BALTIMORE, MD — James Beard-nominated chef David Zamudio is suing Alma Cocina Latina and its owners for fraud, claiming they exploited his labor and tricked him into working there with promises of one day giving him a stake in the company, according to court records and a Baltimore Banner report.
In the lawsuit filed Aug. 1 in Baltimore City Circuit Court, Zamudio claimed the restaurant's owners — Irena Stein and her husband, Mark Demshak — fired him less than a month before he was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards.
The lawsuit also accuses Stein and Demshak of never giving him a stake in the company, despite being offered a third of the business via emails, letters and texts, according to the Banner.
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Zamudio is seeking 33 percent of the restaurant’s value and profits and additional damages of $2 million.
Find out what's happening in Baltimorefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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