Owner of Au Jus barbecue chain indicted on wage theft charges, Manhattan DA says

The owner of Au Jus, a small Oklahoma-style barbecue chain in Manhattan, has been indicted on charges that he stole wages from his own kitchen and delivery workers, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Thursday.

Patrick Griffin, 71, is accused of shorting five employees by at least $8,000. He faces one count of third-degree grand larceny by wage theft, one count of first-degree scheme to defraud and two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay wages under the state Labor Law, according to the DA's office. The charges are allegations, and Griffin is presumed innocent.

What prosecutors allege

Beginning in January 2025, prosecutors say, Griffin held back days or even weeks of pay from workers who prepped food, washed dishes and made deliveries. When they complained, he promised to repay them. As they fell behind on their own bills and left for other jobs, he hired replacements and the pattern continued, the DA's office said.

Former workers kept texting him for their money, according to the indictment announcement. Prosecutors say he often ignored the messages, including while vacationing in Europe, and in at least one case blocked a worker's number. He also allegedly told one former employee he would be paid only if he and his co-workers came back to work, then kept withholding the money when he did. In another case, prosecutors say, Griffin demanded that a worker sign a document falsely stating he had no government ID.

The case reached the DA's Worker Protection Unit through its hotline. More than a year after the work was done, the five workers are still owed over $8,000, the office said. Bragg's office credited the state Department of Labor with assisting.

The restaurants

Au Jus operated at 4232 Broadway, 1569 Lexington Ave. and 2621 Broadway between 2019 and 2025, according to prosecutors. All three are now closed, West Side Rag reported. The Upper West Side outpost at West 99th Street, which opened in 2020, shut in September 2025 after its door was boarded and a marshal's notice was posted, the Rag said.

Bragg said the investigation is ongoing and urged anyone whose wages were stolen to call or text the office's helpline at (646) 712-0298, "regardless of your immigration status."