The Spotted Pig
The Spotted Pig was a gastropub at 314 West 11th Street in the West Village in Manhattan in New York City. It was owned by Ken Friedman. Mario Batali was a primary investor. The chef was April Bloomfield, a British expatriate celebrity chef who was hired after flying to New York and interviewing with Mario Batali and Friedman. The restaurant held a single Michelin Star from about 2006 to 2016. The restaurant closed on January 26, 2020.In December 2017, owner Ken Friedman was accused of multiple cases of sexual harassment in an article published in The ''New York Times''. The journalists interviewed many employees who said April Bloomfield was aware of his behavior, but did nothing to shield employees from it. The article included the statement that "several other employees say they also brought their complaints and concerns about Mr. Friedman to Ms. Bloomfield. Her response was always the same. 'That's who he is. Get used to it. Or go work for someone else'". April Bloomfield was also aware of her restaurant's third floor nickname, "the rape room". As investors, Mario Batali and Jay-Z were frequent visitors; Batali was also accused of criminal behavior on the third floor. Friedman subsequently resigned from management duties of their restaurant group. In December 2017, Bloomfield posted an apology on Twitter for not protecting her staff. On January 7, 2020, Ken Friedman agreed to pay $240,000 and 20% of his profits to former employees who accused him of sexual harassment and discrimination.The Netflix miniseries Black Rabbit is partially based on the controversies surrounding The Spotted Pig.