Two servers who recently worked for Camphor, a Michelin-starred French bistro in Downtown L.A.’s Arts District, are suing the restaurant’s owners for failing to distribute tips, paying workers with “bad checks or insufficient funds,” not paying overtime, and other labor violations, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court obtained by L.A. TACO.
In their lawsuit, Karla Zavala and Irene Park allege that the owners of Camphor “engaged in a systematic pattern of wage and hour abuse towards Plaintiffs and other current and former” employees.
According to their complaint, Zavala and Park were hired as servers in December 2022. As of the end of last year, Zavala still worked for Camphor, while Park “was forced to resign her position in August 2023 after being subjected to the unlawful employment practices” alleged in the lawsuit.
Both Zavala and Park received hourly wages between $16 and $17, plus a portion of tips, according to their complaint.
Zavala and Park are taking action on behalf of themselves and “all others” who were similarly impacted. Their lawsuit is seeking class-action status.