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Civil action lawsuit filed against New York City fast-casual restaurant Dos Toros

In the complaint, former employee alleges racial slurs and a hostile work environment

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

March 16, 2023

1 Min Read
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A civil action case was filed with the New York Supreme Court on Thursday against fast-casual New York-based restaurant chain Dos Toros, alleging a hostile environment and racial slurs.

The chain, which is owned by Founders Table Restaurant Group, currently has 18 locations across New York and New Jersey.

The complainant, Allison Edwards, is a resident of Manhattan and claims that non-Black workers and an assistant manager at a Dos Toros location consistently used the n-word and other racial epithets without any consequence.

Edwards herself was “called the 'n-word' and exposed to frequent racist jokes” according to a release from her lawyers, Joseph & Norinsberg LLC.

Managerial staff at Dos Toros are also alleged to have used the n-word often when talking to staff.

Edwards said when she brought her concerns to management, they defended the use of the word by one employee, calling it “slang.”

“The historically horrendous nature of using the 'n-word' will never go away. No one should be subject to hostile, offensive language while on the job,” said Bennitta Joseph, partner at Joseph & Norinsberg LLC, in a statement. “Too often, employees withstand offensive workplace behavior, especially when seemingly endorsed by senior leaders whose authority shapes the behavior of the rest of the staff. After our client communicated her dismay, management should have rectified the situation. We are committed to and await justice owed to our client.”

Edwards is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for lost wages, emotional distress, and harm to her professional and personal reputation. 

Founders Table Restaurant Group was also named in the filing.

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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