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NY Post
New York Post
26 Aug 2023


NextImg:Broadway bartenders sue NYC’s Shubert Organization for telling them how to speak

Stick to the script while you pour those drinks!

The Shubert Organization is so controlling, that it directs not only what they say to theatergoers but even the volume at which they speak, according to a lawsuit by more than two dozen Broadway bartenders.

Bartenders working in Shubert’s 18 Big Apple venues were told to refrain from greeting thirsty theatergoers with one-word greetings like “Hi” or “Next;” to call them “patrons” not “customers;” and to speak loud enough so the person behind the one they are serving can hear.

“Ask yourself if what you are saying could work equally as well in a bar, hotel, or restaurant. If the answer is yes, then it’s not Broadway and therefore unacceptable,” the workers were told.

The company is so eager to enforce the rules, they correct the bartenders even if “patrons” aren’t around, one told The Post.

“I was speaking [with a supervisor] and I said, ‘When the customers come in,’ and he said, ‘They’re not customers, they’re patrons,'” said Brittany Bartlett.

(from left) Bartlett, Koch, and Anaya say the group scripts every exchange they have with customers.
Helayne Seidman

Bartlett and other bartenders cited the strict working conditions in court papers accusing the company of paying them a measly $19 to $22 per four-hour shift, forcing them to rely on inconsistent tips that sometimes have them bringing home as little as $20 to $50 per day, the workers told The Post.

“It used to be a little more sustainable to live off the tips,” said Bartlett, 33, who has bartended for the company for six years.

A good day’s tips can hit $150 to $200, but that doesn’t happen often, said Bartlett and others.

Shubert Theatre on west 44th

The Shubert Organization operates 18 theaters on Broadway.
Helayne Seidman

With drink prices hitting as much as $18 for a glass of wine, the strict rules on how to greet customers can sometimes backfire, said Brett Anaya, who has worked for Shubert for about a year and a half.

“I’ll say the price of drinks and the line shortens right away,” Anaya, 50, said.

The company is violating the law by paying less than the minimum wage required by the state, and because the workers spend more than 20% of their shifts in a non-serving role, said their attorney, Jason Rozger.

some like it hot signage

“Some Like It Hot” is among the many Broadway shows appearing in Shubert Organization theaters.
Helayne Seidman

The workers are seeking unspecified damages.

The Shubert Organization did not return messages.