Il Fornaio, an Italian restaurant chain with 14 restaurants in California and Las Vegas, agreed to settle a 4-year-old federal lawsuit alleging it created a sexually hostile work environment and retaliated against female employees.
The Corte Madera-based chain agreed on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to pay $3 million to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of at least 100 women — and teens — affected by Il Fornaio’s work environment, said Beatriz B. Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, in a prepared statement.
An Il Fornaio spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.
The company has locations in Irvine, Woodland Hills, Del Mar, and Coronado. At the time the lawsuit was filed against the chain in August 2022, it also had restaurants in Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach and Pasadena — all of which have since closed.
Pasadena closed in early 2024 when the chain couldn’t extend the lease with the One Colorado shopping center in Old Pasadena. The Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach restaurants also closed earlier this year due to lease expirations.
The EEOC order — filed with the court on Oct. 6 — says that the decree is in effect for a period of three years. The order could be modified, or lengthened, if the court finds a sexually hostile work environment continues to exist based on follow-up investigations, the court order states.
Other relief provided to the women includes confidential follow up discussions with current employees within three months of the Oct. 6 order, maintenance of a dedicated human resources function with an open-door policy for employees to file a complaint, and a telephone hotline operating seven days a week for employees to call to file grievances.
The restaurant chain also is required to publicize the hotline and revise complaint procedures.
All employees must receive a copy of the revised workplace policies and sign a form acknowledging receipt. They also must attend a training program regarding discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
The company has nine restaurants in Northern California and one in Las Vegas. The EEOC did not provide details on which of the company’s restaurants were involved in the lawsuit.
According to the EEOC statement released Tuesday, supervisors and employees across Il Fornaio locations repeatedly subjected female employees, many of whom were teenagers, to sexual harassment. The harassment included “forceful groping” in restaurant bathrooms, multiple instances of “grabbing female employees’ private parts,” requests for sexual favors and explicit references to sexual activities, the EEOC stated.
The lawsuit stems from discrimination allegations filed by a female employee who began work as an Il Fornaio hostess in 2017. She continued working until May 2019, when she was forced to resign due to “ongoing sexual harassment by a manager and co-workers,” the EEOC lawsuit stated. Other female employees also stepped forward, alleging similar experiences.
When the employees complained, Il Fornaio supervisors allegedly retaliated, reducing the number of shifts or hours the women worked, by making employees do more burdensome work, or by refusing requests for time off and issuing threats, the EEOC said.
The lawsuit said female workers began complaining verbally and in writing to II Fornaio supervisors, management and the company’s human resources department as early as 2016.
Il Fornaio restaurants in Northern California include locations in Burlingame, Corte Madera, Carmel-by-the Sea, Mountain View, Roseville, Sacramento, San Jose, Santa Clara and Walnut Creek.