Abruptly-closed local bar & restaurant owners being sued by former manager

After less than a year of opening, a prohibition-inspired cocktail lounge and restaurant abruptly closed their doors. 

And now, Adelaide’s Gin Joint, which was located at 2333 N. High St., is facing a legal battle, where the former general manager is suing the owners for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and unjust retaliation. 

According to the lawsuit, the former manager signed a contract with Adelaide’s owners, which said that if he was fired without misconduct violation, he would be owed $10,000. However, he was terminated about two months later after he started his position last October in 2023.

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He alleges that he received an email on December 18 of last year that said he was terminated, and the copy of the email in the court documents lists no reason or contractual violation. This came after the manager alleged that he received a phone call on Dec. 1 from the owners, requesting he cut an employee from payroll and replace them with the owner’s son, who was not an official employee. In the complaint, the manager said he was uncomfortable with this decision, as he was asked to pay the son under the table for less than the state’s legal minimum wage. The manager claims to have told the owners that this violated labor laws, and the owner allegedly hung up the phone. 

In the terms of his contract, if he was to be fired without cause, he was supposed to be payed a $10,000 payout, which was the reason the lawsuit was filed.

Adelaide’s owners have not responded to a request for comment.

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