Former Epicurean Hotel chef sues managers, says unpaid overtime led to firing

Jay Cridlin, Tampa Bay Times
·2 min read

The former executive chef of Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel is suing its owners, alleging he was fired after complaining that his staff wasn’t getting paid overtime.

Jason Bamford, who led the kitchen at the culinary-themed boutique hotel from 2019 until last December, filed the suit against the hotel’s management on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa, saying their actions violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Bamford oversaw the hotel’s Elevage restaurant, Edge rooftop cocktail bar and other corporate and meeting spaces. His suit claims that on Dec. 10, he complained that his co-workers were not being paid overtime, in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. About a week later, the suit claims, he was fired in retaliation.

Bamford is seeking a jury trial and compensation for lost wages, benefits and emotional distress. His attorney declined to comment further.

Through a spokesperson, the Epicurean’s management group, Mainsail Lodging and Development, declined to comment on the case, but said that “the company follows all applicable state and federal labor laws, including those related to overtime pay.”

Bamford isn’t the first employee to sue the Epicurean over unpaid overtime during the pandemic.

In December, former front desk clerk Scottie Guess sued the hotel’s management in the Middle District of Florida, saying they failed to pay him the standard time and a half above the $11 per hour he earned between April and September.

Guess said in the suit that he worked 28 overtime hours per week, which worked out to about $10,400 in lost wages. The Epicurean disputed those hours and denied any wrongdoing, but in April settled the case for $10,000, plus $4,900 in legal fees.

Developed in conjunction with Bern’s Steak House, and a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of hotels, the Epicurean opened in 2013. Mainsail Lodging and Development operates hotels and corporate lodging throughout the United States and Caribbean, including the Fenway Hotel in Dunedin and Karol Hotel in Feather Sound.