A Naples restaurant that charges $129 for a three-course prix fixe menu — $149 if you order the tenderloin — lied about jobs, stole tips, improperly paid and otherwise abused workers from the U.S. and imported via H-2B visa program, a U.S. Department of Labor said.
Labor announced that Sails Restaurant paid $184,139 in back wages to 56 workers, $3,288.19 per employee, and a $53,536 civil money penalty for H-2B program violations.
Sails Director of Operations Corinne Ryan said in an email to the Miami Herald that Sails cooperated with the investigation, has used the H-2B program since 2019 and “60% of our H-2B participants are returning employees, a figure that supports our view of the professional opportunities and rewarding work environment we’ve created.”
As for the results of Labor’s investigation, Ryan said the restaurant she runs with husband and general manager Veljo Pavicevic “disagreed with the DOL’s claims, however, decided not to seek further review of the investigator’s findings due to the distraction and costs associated with a protracted process.