Dozens Of Bed-Stuy Businesses Stole Wages From Workers: Data

BED-STUY, NY — Are your favorite local businesses paying their workers fairly? Are you sure?

A new interactive map from Documented allows New Yorkers to comb the state’s businesses to see if, and how much, money has been stolen from workers.

“We have long heard from workers and advocates how pervasive wage theft is, but it has always been difficult to prove,” Documented’s Max Siegelbaum said about the map’s release Monday.

Dozens of Bed-Stuy businesses were found to have denied workers their owed wages — some withholding over $200,000, the map shows.

Wage and hour records from the state and federal Departments of Labor, collected between 2012 and 2022, showed that, among others, these businesses in Bed-Stuy have stolen wages from its workers:

• Pattie Hut & Grill, $261,781.19, 5 workers lost wages.
• New Heights Security LLC, $123,519, 1 worker lost wages.
• Bed-Stuy Fish Fry, $11,652, 2 workers lost wages.
• Ayotunde Balogun (at the location of Brooklyn Residency), $2,347.22, 2 workers lost wages.
• Fulton Gourmet Deli, $22,218.57, 2 workers lost wages.
• CS Construction Group LLC/Goodliving Management LLC, $52,862.19, 1 worker lost wages.
• Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits, $23,306.06, 2 workers lost wages.
• Sunshine Nursery & Daycare, $32,734.95, 7 workers lost wages.
• L'Antagoniste, $2,905, 1 worker lost wages.
• Jolie Creperie, $3,3107.3, 3 workers lost wages.
• Fuel Juice Bar & Cafe, $1,605.42, 1 worker lost wages.
• DMD Car Service, $11,645, 1 worker lost wages.
• Brooklyn Beso Restaurant & Bar, $9,241.43, 2 workers lost wages.
• $1 Pizza, $8,355, 1 worker lost wages.
• Elite Medical Group, $1656, 2 workers lost wages.

And the numbers across the city are similarly sobering. Across New York, federal and state authorities have identified over 13,000 instances of wage theft between just 2017 and 2021, ProPublica and Documented reported.

These cases represent over $203 million stolen from 127,000 workers in the state — numbers considered by the U.S. Department of Labor to be a significant undercount, ProPublica and Documented reported.

“Government agencies, nonprofits and major profitable corporations were all found to have stolen their workers’ wages. The cases range from a few hundred dollars to several hundred thousands of dollars from one worker,” Siegelbaum said.

The restaurant industry is thought to be the epicenter of wage theft across the state, and some city favorites landed themselves in the pool of worst offenders.

“It is likely you will find businesses that you know, and maybe some you love. Everything from small corner shops to major New York institutions are included in the data,” Siegelbaum said.

Soho House’s exclusive Ludlow House on the Lower East Side owed one worker $3190.52.

The Westville chain was found guilty of wage theft at multiple locations — including the East Village, Hudson, West Village and Chelsea — totaling $1,832.33, according to the map.

Burlington Coat Factory in two locations stole workers’ wages totaling around $1,400.

On the higher end sat Eisenberg Sandwich Shop, a Fifth Avenue eatery opened in 1929, found to owe six workers $861,603 in wages. And Carbone Ristorante Italiano (not the famed Greenwich Village spot) owed $205,773.93 to one employee.

“Behind the dots on this map are the stories of over 100,000 workers, some of whom missed rent, went hungry, or were unable to pay for medical care after losing a paycheck.”

A number of high profile businesses have faced wage theft claims in recent years. In April, Atlanta-based chain Slutty Vegan faced a wage theft lawsuit from three Brooklyn workers who claim they were denied overtime, bonuses and appropriate wages.

On the Upper East Side, acclaimed South African wine bar Kaia and the kosher diner Effy’s both faced wage theft lawsuits in January. Workers at both establishments were accused of withholding overtime hours.

A group of home health aides on Wednesday continued their fight for fair pay after they say state authorities failed to properly investigate their claims of improper pay and ridiculous hours, The City reported.