Sushi Nakazawa In NYC Accused Of Wage Theft

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — One of New York's most critically acclaimed restaurants was slapped with a wage theft lawsuit this week, accusing the restaurant's leaders of routinely underpaying its employees.

Two former waiters at the restaurant filed a class-action lawsuit against Sushi Nakazawa this week, accusing the high-end restaurant of underpaying them and other employees, improperly distributing tips, and improperly disclosing payment procedures.

Sushi Nakazawa, located at 23 Commerce St., is one of New York City's fanciest restaurant. This week, the restaurant was named as one of the 18 best in New York City, based on reviews from Open Table diners around the country. It’s one of five restaurants to have been awarded four stars by the New York Times food critic. It's also planning to open a new branch inside the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The class action suit names chef Daisuke Nakazawa and his co-owner Alessandro Borgognone as defendants. The suit was filed by attorney Maimon Kirschenbaum, who has previously represented workers in the restaurant industry in workplace disputes.

A representative for the restaurant declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Image credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for NYCWFF. Pictured: Chef Daisuke Nakazawa.