The Howard Hughes Corporation heralded an air of gastronomic revitalization when they announced the launch of the Tin Building in New York's Seaport district, set to open in Spring 2022, but the venue is currently embroiled in controversy that could leave a bitter taste. According to Gothamist, a sweeping employment authorization check in December resulted in the layoff of at least 100 workers at the dazzling food epicenter. Workers were caught off-guard just before the new year as identity checks led to the termination of many, particularly affecting Latino kitchen and custodial staff.
Struggling deeply since its opening, the Tin Building appears to be in financial dire straits. In December, a spokesperson confirmed the checks due to internal restructuring, however declined to comment on the loss of the jobs or the connection to their financial troubles, which involves losing more than $100,000 a day, totaling a staggering $83 million, as per estimates by investment analysts, as detailed by Gothamist. "Chefs, line cooks, maintenance workers, servers, the people who do our garbage and recycling," a current employee said, "it's everyone." The sudden labor cull offers a stark look into the precarious nature of employment in the NYC restaurant industry, which is Home to an estimated 315,000 undocumented workers according to NYC Hospitality Alliance's Andrew Rigie.
Initially announced in a euphoric fashion as a 53,000-square-foot landmark by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the acclaimed chef envisioned the Tin Building as a Mecca of diverse culinary adventures – from sushi and sake at Shikku to freshly made pizzas at The Frenchman's Dough. Jean-Georges reminisced in a statement obtained by Restaurant Hospitality about his early New York days, suggesting that the Tin Building was to reflect a "meaningful experience of discovery." However, the reality of the operation has been largely contrasted with the initial vision as recent cuts and closures have darkened the doorstep of this once-promising enterprise.
Despite the setback, the company continues its hiring efforts, with the SEG posting job openings for various positions, from dishwashers to servers. "While these postings are new, the company was hiring before the December disruption as well," a spokesperson claimed. In the meanwhile, ongoing closures and service cutbacks are being cited as preplanned strategies to re-engineer the spaces during offseason. This narrative, however, is contradicted by the Congress of employees across the board at the Tin Building, who feel troubled and demoralized due to the unexpected layoffs, as one told Gothamist, "Undocumented immigrants hold up the whole hospitality industry."
Under the spotlight of the current fiasco is the method of employment verification being used. While implementing E-Verify—an online verification tool administered by the Department of Homeland Security—is not legally required in New York, SEG has adopted it, leading to scrutiny that has undercut its workforce. Critics, including immigrant advocates, have flagged the system as invasive and less effective than purported. Immigration attorney Jacob Monty told Gothamist, "You can get fake documents for $200, and for $600 you can get fake documents that clear E-Verify. That’s the thing about E-Verify… it doesn’t work." The company claims that this was not a re-verification but rather an initial verification due to a technical change in employment from Jean-Georges’ subsidiary to SEG. The legal intricacies remain debated among labor lawyers and immigrant communities alike.
