Mario Batali Settles Server Tip Suit for $5 Million
By: Rosemina Nazarali
Published: March 8, 2012

Mario Batali and his business partner have agreed to settle a lawsuit involving their restaurants' employees who claimed their tips were confiscated from them. Batali has agreed to settle the suit for $5.25 million. 
The lawsuit was filed back in 2010 and may have involved more than 1000 restaurant employees since 2004. According the the claims, 4 to 5 percent of wine sales was taken out of the tip pool and kept for themselves every night. The employees had apparently been told that the money was used for wine research and broken glassware.
The restaurants included in the lawsuit are Batali's Manhattan eateries -- Babbo, Del Posto, Casa Mono, Bar Jamon, Esca, Lupa and Otta. 
Batali is now waiting for the court to approve the settlement amount.