Thursday, October 30th, 2025
AFTER KNIFE-WIELDING CULPRIT IN RESTAURANT UNIFORM STABS UNION INFLATABLE RAT, LOCAL LIQUOR BOARD MUST ACT
Almost a dozen NYPD officers swept through Babbo on opening night after someone wearing the restaurant’s uniform slashed union property on the sidewalk outside the restaurant
Greenwich Village, New York – Police officers searched Babbo on its opening night on Monday after a knife-wielding person came out of the restaurant and slashed Scabby the inflatable rat, worth around $7,000. As a result of the flagrant lawbreaking and police activity which occurred as Babbo owner Stephan Starr dined in the restaurant, union officials with UNITE HERE Local 25 are calling on and the local Community Board to deny Babbo a permanent liquor license. The ongoing labor dispute, which escalated significantly with the destruction of Scabby, will not stifle the streetside activity protected by the First Amendment to the restaurant.
“This is an embarrassing and completely inappropriate way to run a business in Washington Square,” said Mike Haack, a Senior Researcher at UNITE HERE Local 25, who witnessed the scene. “I’m concerned for the neighbors and residents, who have rightly been raising concerns about the impact this restaurant will have on their community.”
Haack was outside Babbo with Scabby, the union’s inflatable rat, sharing information with guests about Local 25’s call to boycott the restaurant. He heard a hissing noise and turned to see a person wearing Babbo uniform knifing Scabby. Haack alerted the NYPD, who arrived at the scene. Together with Haack, about a dozen NYPD officers searched the restaurant during dinner service to find and arrest the perpetrator, but they were unable to locate him. After the search. Haack overheard a restaurant staff member refuse to turn over CCTV footage to the NYPD to aid their investigation.
This is not the first time Babbo has incited controversy in the neighborhood. In May, Community Board No. 2, representing Washington Square, recommended that the NYC liquor board deny Babbo’s application for a permanent liquor license unless the license incorporates an array of stipulations including about noise level and limiting outdoor service.
“What Mike witnessed on Monday night should confirm Babbo’s neighbors’ worst fears,” said Benjy Cannon, UNITE HERE Local 25’s Communications Director. “If police had to be called over destruction of property from a knife-wielding person on opening night, who retreated into the restaurant and was apparently given shelter there, what other unpleasant surprises does Babbo have in store? The Community Board should not move forward with a permanent liquor license and authorities should step in to protect the neighborhood.”
The Babbo boycott is an expansion of a months-long boycott of STARR-operated restaurants in Washington, D.C – Le Diplomate, The Occidental, and Osteria Mozza over the company’s union-busting. The boycott was called by restaurant workers with UNITE HERE Local 25, a D.C.-based hospitality workers’ union. The DC boycott has been endorsed by over 80 Senators and members of Congress, including Senator Chuck Schumer and Reps. Jared Goldman, Jerry Nadler, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Stephan Starr revived Babbo years after its closure following allegations of sexual harassment against its previous chef, Mario Batali, when it was under different management. On the decision to keep Babbo’s name, despite these allegations, the New York Times reported:
Mr. Ladner (the new head chef) liked the opportunity but not the name. “I didn’t initially think it was a great idea,” he said. “I thought it was damaged.” Not Mr. Starr. The restaurant was Babbo, and Babbo it would stay.
At Starr’s Pastis restaurant in DC, UNITE HERE Local 25 has heard from two workers who say sexual harassment was a problem at their restaurant. A cook says a supervising chef grabbed her neck from behind and shook her. She said, “let me go, you’re hurting me,” and he laughed. One worker was scheduled to work with the chef for months after reporting him to HR. Feminist groups, including ReproAction and Feminist Majority, have signed a public letter calling on Starr to take a stand against sexual harassment.
In January, supermajorities of workers demanded voluntary recognition at three STARR restaurants in D.C.: St. Anselm, Pastis, and Le Diplomate. These workers hoped that restaurant owners would follow the example of José Andrés, who voluntarily recognized the workers’ union at The Bazaar just days after they announced their campaign. STARR refused and instead resorted to classic union-busting tactics that workers say should have no place in D.C. restaurants. Workers have reported that the company, threatened them and hired outside anti-union “persuaders” to campaign against the union.
On February 21st, workers at St. Anselm voted to join Local 25. Instead of recognizing the result of the election, STARR Restaurants filed objections – joining Amazon in claiming that the NLRB lacks authority to certify union elections when there is not a quorum of NLRB members. There was not a quorum because Trump fired a member of the labor board in January. STARR also petitioned the NLRB’s Regional Office to cancel the union election at Le Diplomate scheduled for March.
Between STARR’s objection to the election at St. Anselm where workers won the union, its interference in the Pastis election, and the cancellation of the election at Le Diplomate, it’s clear that STARR does not respect free and fair NLRB elections.
UNITE HERE Local 25 is affiliated with UNITE HERE, a labor union that represents 300,000 working people across Canada and the United States. Our members work in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries. Our membership is diverse. We are predominantly women and people of color, and we hail from all corners of the planet.