DC restaurant to pay over $526K in wage theft settlement

WASHINGTON ( DC News Now ) — D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Tuesday that Swahili Village M Street, a Kenyan fine-dining restaurant also widely known as “the Consulate,” must pay $526,973 to resolve a 2023 wage theft lawsuit .

In the lawsuit , the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) alleged that Swahili Village DC “systematically stole wages and tips from its servers, hosts, food runners, bussers and bartenders.”

The 2023 suit also alleged they violated multiple labor laws, such as failure to pay overtime, provide sick leave, pay minimum wages and maintain required employment records.

Kevin Onyona, the founder and CEO of Swahili Village DC, and Ermad Shoeb, who served as Chief Operating Officer, previously denied the allegations .

According to a release from OAG, the settlement requires Swahili Village and its executives to pay more than $260,000 in restitution to 72 affected workers, $197,614 in penalties to D.C., pay a claims administrator who will contact and pay all eligible workers and change its practices to comply with District wage and hour laws.

The company must also provide reports of compliance to the OAG for three years.

“It is unacceptable, and illegal, for businesses to steal from their hardworking employees, depriving them of the full benefits they have earned and are legally entitled to,” said Schwalb. “Employers that do so are not only exploiting their workers but are gaining an unfair advantage over their competitors who play by the rules.”

A former bartender at Swahili Village, Rowles Adams, made comments about his experience as a worker at the restaurant, as noted in the press release.

“For months, I saw managers mistreat my coworkers, including many young immigrants who did not even realize that what was happening was wrong. I spoke out, but it didn’t change things. I’m so grateful that the lawyers from the attorney general’s office heard our plea for help and stood with us to get justice,” said Adams.

OAG said workers who believe their rights have been violated can contact the department by calling (202)-724-7730 or emailing workers@dc.gov or trabajadores@dc.gov.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC.