Former employees of Dianna’s Bakery and Cafe gathered outside the restaurant yesterday with picket signs alleging that owner Dianna Quatraro had not paid them properly ahead of the business filing for bankruptcy.
Dianna’s opened in November at 639 First St. in the former location of Capitol Cafe. The restaurant specializes in American food as well as baked goods.
Former workers claim they were not being paid and had been laid off.
“I only received three paychecks,” Vivian Salas, a server at Dianna’s from November to March, claimed.
“Sometimes the checks bounced,” Lisa Kelm, a server from November to April, stated.
Another former employee, Mark King, claimed that Quatraro did not give him consistent hours.
“She hired me for 40 hours a week, then she dropped me to 7,” he said.
According to Ronaldo Gonzalez, a retired contractor who partnered with Quatraro to help her start the business, former employees had collectively gone to a labor board to bring up the issues they were having. During that time, Quatraro had filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which allows those with regular income to put together a plan to repay debts. Debtors will develop a repayment plan to make installments to creditors over the next three to five years, depending on how high the debtor’s regular monthly income is in relation to the applicable state median.
Salas and Kelm organized the protest, which was held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the restaurant. They spread information about the protest via word of mouth to former employees, and King attracted attention by putting up a post on the Facebook group “Benicia Happenings.”
Quatraro declined to comment on the matter, but referred the Herald to her attorney, Robert Hale McConnell. He confirmed that she had filed for bankruptcy, which was due to too much debt, and felt that the picketers were jeopardizing the standard automatic restraining order issued in bankruptcy cases by trying to have Quatraro pay employees during that period rather than through the bankruptcy court.
McConnell noted that Quatraro is going through the process of repaying her creditors.
“She plans to complete her bankruptcy and repay her creditors in full, which is more than most people who file for bankruptcies will do,” he said.
Gonzalez expressed optimism that the protest would be a learning experience.
“It’s time she acknowledges her financial responsibility to everybody that was involved, including vendors that have not been paid for work reform and bad checks to employees,” he stated.
Thomas Petersen says
This seems like a common theme with businesses that shutter on First Street. I’ve heard of several cases. I, in fact, was not paid by an environmental consulting company for services rendered. They mysteriously disappeared shortly after I completed my contract.