clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

This Mega-Popular Burger Chain Will Pay $20K to Oakland Worker for Repeated Misgendering

Plus a lawsuit settlement is under way for the Pier 45 blaze

Shake Shack
Paolo Bicchieri is a reporter at Eater SF writing about Bay Area restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups.

New York-based Shake Shack, with its nine Bay Area locations, will pay $20,000 to settle with an Oakland worker over a case of workplace discrimination. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the employee identified as a man but was repeatedly misgendered as a woman. After raising the issue numerous times to management, he was provided no support from the company.

The worker began at the Oakland Shake Shack location in 2020 where he says he was repeatedly harassed by co-workers. Management told the employee nothing could be done regarding his misgendering, and instead encouraged the worker to explain his gender and persuade his co-workers to treat him better. The employee quit a month later, after receiving no help from management about his concerns. The burger chain said in its own statement the business is “constantly taking steps to ensure our policies and culture reflect our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.” Along with the $20,000 settlement, Shake Shack will also provide anti-discrimination training to employees, California’s state Civil Rights Department said in a statement on February 13.

Port of San Francisco and local fishers expected to reach settlement over Pier 45 blaze

In 2020 a warehouse fire cost commercial fishers millions of dollars, and those impacted accused the Port of San Francisco of negligence. Now, the San Francisco Business Times reports about two dozen of those affected could receive $6.5 million in a settlement. If the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayor London Breed approve the deal, the city — and two private security firms on duty during the four-alarm fire — would pay out for the terrible event.

Yet another Nashville chicken chain hits the East Bay

Angry Chickz, a Hollywood-based hot chicken chain born in 2018, will open in the East Bay on February 17. The Mercury News reports the first 100 guests to the new Brentwood location of Angry Chickz will receive free food and swag. After opening another location in San Jose in January, Angry Chickz joined the Bay Area hot chicken bonanza; other recent-ish chicken sandwich competitors launching in the Bay Area include Dave’s Hot Chicken, Birdbox, Hotboys, and more.

Italian cookbook writer hits San Francisco for one night only

Italian restaurant powerhouse Che Fico will host Italian writer and authority Katie Parla on Tuesday, March 14 for a ticketed dinner. The $165 four-course dinner includes a copy of Parla’s new book Food of the Italian Islands and Che Fico wine director Jason Alexander will pour an optional $75 wine pairing centered on thematically-appropriate wines. Tickets will go live on Che Fico’s website on Wednesday, February 15.

Birdbox

680A 2nd Street, , CA 94107 Visit Website

Che Fico

838 Divisadero Street, , CA 94117 (415) 416-6959 Visit Website

Powerhouse

1347 Folsom Street, , CA 94103 (415) 552-8689 Visit Website