Workers at Brooklyn’s trendy plant-based burger joint, Slutty Vegan, got screwed out of wages by bosses at the wealthy company, according to a federal lawsuit.
Three employees at the firm’s new Fort Greene hotspot allege the restaurant denied them bonuses and overtime pay amounting to at least $8,000, according to the suit — even as the company is valued at $100 million.
The litigation was the second unpaid wages suit levied against founder and CEO Pinky Cole in three months, despite the firm’s deep pockets and backing from Danny Meyer of Shake Shack fame.
The Slutty Vegan committed “intentional, willful, and unlawful acts” causing the workers — who cooked and cleaned at the restaurant — to suffer “damages in an amount not presently ascertainable,” the Brooklyn federal lawsuit filed April 4 states.
In January, Cole and two partners were sued by workers at Bar Vegan, another restaurant she owns in Atlanta, claiming she withheld tips and failed to meet minimum wage standards.
The Fort Greene eatery, which sells veggie takes on burgers, cheese steak, hot dogs, caused a stir when it opened in September 2022 with cheekily named dishes such as the “One Night Stand” and the “Hollywood Hooker.”
A glowing profile of Cole published by the New Yorker magazine Monday describes Cole’s “entrepreneurial streak dat[ing] back to her youth in Baltimore” and the company’s popular “party atmosphere” but doesn’t mention the Brooklyn lawsuit.
Slutty Vegan sells vegan takes on burgers and cheese steaks. Stefano Giovannini for NY Post
The company’s founder also faced an unpaid wages lawsuit in January. Stefano Giovannini for NY PostIn the Brooklyn lawsuit, Slutty Vegan was named as a defendant but Cole was not mentioned by name.
“Slutty Vegan is deeply committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment for all of its employees, and takes the wellbeing of its staff very seriously. Slutty Vegan takes its legal obligations seriously, and especially those relating to its staff,” the restaurant said in a statement sent by Anderson Group Public Relations.
“It maintains an open door policy and invites employees to express their concerns with management so that they can be examined and resolved in a fair, reasonable and lawful manner,” the statement said.
The company declined to comment on the Brooklyn lawsuit, saying it has a policy not to talk about pending litigation.
In a January Instagram post following the Atlanta lawsuit filing, Cole claimed she’s not “familiar with this ordeal” and doesn’t run “day-to-day operations” at the restaurant.
