The D.C Attorney General has announced that Swahili Village M Street, a Kenyan fine-dining restaurant widely known as “the Consulate,” must pay $526,972 to resolve a 2023 wage theft lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Swahili Village DC “systematically stole wages and tips from its servers, hosts, food runners, bussers, and bartenders.” The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) also alleges that they violated multiple labor laws, such as failure to pay overtime, provide sick leave, pay minimum wage and maintain required employment records.
According to the OAG’s announcement, Swahili Village and its executives are required to pay more than $260,000 in restitution to 72 affected workers, $197,614 in penalties to D.C., pay a claims administrator who will contact and pay all eligible workers, and change its practices to comply with District wage and hour laws. Reports of compliance must also be provided to the OAG for three years.
“It is unacceptable, and illegal, for businesses to steal from their hardworking employees, depriving them of the full benefits they have earned and are legally entitled to,” said the D.C. Attorney General. “For months, I saw managers mistreat my coworkers, including many young immigrants who did not even realize that what was happening was wrong. I spoke out, but it didn’t change things. I’m so grateful that the lawyers from the attorney general’s office heard our plea for help and stood with us to get justice,” said a former bartender at Swahili Village.
If you believe you or a loved one are victims of wage theft or have questions about your rights as a worker, please do not hesitate to reach out to the attorneys of Pechman Law Group at 212-583-9500. We have recovered over $30 million for workers in all types of industries.
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