Mario Batali to give up all his restaurants over a year after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mario Batali is finally divesting from all of his restaurants — eight months later than the originally announced July date.
Batali, who was accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women in December 2017, was expected to fully dissolve his partnership with the Bastianich family of restaurants last summer, which the celebrity chef formed with his business partner Joe Bastianich in 1998.
MARIO BATALI’S LAS VEGAS STRIP RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The restaurant group confirmed it would be “ending” its partnership with the disgraced celebrity chef following the allegations of sexual abuse detailed in an episode of CBS News’ “60 Minutes” in May 2018. At the time, the company said the dissolving would happen sometime around July.
“The process of his divestiture is going really well considering how complex it is,” The New York Times quoted Bastianich as saying in May.
The process revolved around a complicated buyout of Batali’s stake in the business, it was reported. Now, the former Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group has said Batali will no longer be involved as of March 2019.
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“[Mr. Batali] will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form,” Tanya Bastianich Manuali said to The New York Times. Manuali will reportedly take over day-to-day operations at the new company created to replace the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group.
The new company, which has yet to be named, will operate the group’s remaining 16 restaurants and return control to the Bastianich family now that Batali’s shares have been bought out, the Times said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Eataly, a global chain of luxury Italian markets, is also moving away from Batali.
“Eataly is in the process of acquiring Mr. Batali’s minority interest in Eataly USA,” said Chris Giglio, a spokesman for that company told the Times.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The celebrity chef issued an apology after the allegations broke.
In January, a New York Police Department representative told TMZ that two cases of sexual assault against Batali have been closed, citing a lack of evidence.
Fox News' Michael Bartiromo contributed to this report.