It all started when Derek, aka Moon Junsik became manager and a new executive chef took over. Allow me to elucidate the extreme exploitation and unprofessionalism I endured under their reign. Mr. Choi is a criminal, not a businessman, otherwise he’d NEVER have let what happened, happen.
When I started working at Gammeeok there was a different general manager, who showed up to the overnight shift regularly (my favorite boss ever). Thus, everyone in the kitchen behaved properly, even when I was alone, which was often. The line cooks weren’t getting shit face wasted, because he would’ve fired them. When owner Mr. Choi decided to promote Derek from server to assistant general manager, the GM said it was a terrible idea. Why, you ask? He’s lazy. Since the establishment is 24/7, the AGM needs to pop in on overnight shifts, something Derek refused to do. Despite knowing the GM for years, Mr. Choi ignored his warnings and gave Derek the position. Mind you, the GM as a Korean American knows the law thoroughly. Derek, straight from Korea, does not and it shows. The chef is also from South Korea. Yet, all three of them had the temerity to think themselves smarter than me, because I’m a black woman. Racist and sexist, they find me intellectually inferior in my own country, in my own fucking city. I’m a native New Yorker motherfuckers, without open-minded, inclusive people like me, there’d be no K-Town. There’s no Korea Town in Wisconsin. There are entire states with barely any Asian people, à la Keene, New Hampshire. Something I learned at Emerson College when a new friend thought everyone was Chinese and referred to the cuisine as ch*nky food. This is how you treat other people of color making space for you? How dare!
Originally I was just a server, Monday was suppose to be the only day I worked alone. The remainder of the week there were two to three of us, along with two server assistants. As time went by it dwindled down to just me, with people getting fired or calling out. Tony was the former, canned twice after proving himself unstable and a liability. The guy was fucking nuts. My first shift with him, I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears. Background: Tony was fired five years prior to being rehired, he was a husky, ghetto, ignorant, misanthropic, messy, mixy Korean American boy. Oscillating between disdain, reverence, and love for me, he told me everything, betraying Derek’s confidence. Karma. Had Derek listened to the complaints I made about him night one, there wouldn’t be a knife in his back.
A bustling Thursday night packed to capacity and we had no busboy, because Derek didn’t schedule one. Angry, Tony instructed me not to clean anything, it’s not our job. I informed him we had no choice or we wouldn’t make money. Like what…we need to seat people to serve them. The show must go on. I’m cutting kimchi and kkakdugi for one fucking second when I notice a heated exchange at the register between Tony and my regular of a month. Immediately I rush over, the fight is taking place in front of the restaurant for all the guests to see.
”This guy just called me a motherfucker,” my regular informed me.
“What…?” Stunned to the core, he must’ve misheard. There’s no way. “Did you say that?”
“Yeah, because he’s a motherfucker. I’ll fight you right now,” Tony stated, possessing zero qualms. I was utterly flabbergasted. I mean…Tony thought the guy was skipping out on his bill. He wasn’t, he literally was going to get more cash for tip, leaving his belongings as insurance. He’d done that a few times before, no issues. A man of Indian descent, my regular called Tony a nigga, accepting the challenge after being told to go back to his country (“I’m from here motherfucker”). Getting in between them, I escort the man downstairs to get the additional money from his car. Tony proceeds to come from behind the register, chases us, halts at the top of the stairs and screams “No J! Don’t go with him, stop! Don’t do this.”
“I just met you, I’ve known him longer. What is wrong with you?” Exiting the premises, I walk my regular to his BMW. He only tips me and I never see him again. A big deal, huge, because I worked weekday nights from 11pm-7am. Getting regulars during such hours is no small feat. I had his order memorized: beef bugogi, coke.
Later that night Tony attacked another customer, an Indian woman who was drunk and feeling her oats. Tony told her to shut up. Uncomfortable with his demeanor towards brown people, I messaged Derek. Tony tried to throw his weight around, yelling at me not to speak to the kitchen, he’ll do it. I dragged him. I’d been working there without him, the fuck. Esteban the overnight supervisor (a position created to supplement Derek’s unwillingness to make appearances), also complained about him. Their first shift together, Tony tried to fight Esteban outside, interrupting service. Derek didn’t care, keeping him on until he found out Tony was running his mouth. I repeated verbatim what Derek said to him privately, and things I had no way of knowing having been excluded from the employee group chat. So it’s no surprise I was let go after standing up for the one cook Pedro, who held everything together (read It Costs To Be The Boss).
These are photos of Thomas sexually harassing the 19 year old busboy Willy, sent to the manager (he tried to lock him in the bathroom with him, kept touching him, tried to kiss him). I also complained about Thomas sexually harassing me, typing so fast out of anger autocorrect took over. I clearly state he touched me inappropriately, including shoving my head into his crotch.
They continued scheduling me with the cooks I complained about, resulting in Guillermo being escorted out by the police and the chef defending him, threatening to call the cops on me, cursing and firing me. Until Asian guests defended me, demanding he return to the kitchen, after I refused to give another table a partially eaten seollang tang.
My final shift was August 4th, Derek showed up wasted at 3am to fire me, but kept inexperienced white server Mochin (who gave Guillermo the soju). The chef scheduled one cook, alcoholic Thomas who said fuck you, I’m not making the jokbal again and walked out. I had to shut down the entire restaurant on a busy Thursday night. Mochin after three months, still couldn’t identify the dishes nor complete the simple task of delivering food to the right table. All he had to do was go to A9, as instructed, he went to A1 causing nearly an hour delay for the former. Mochin also offended customers continuing to call them Chinese, after I asked him to stop.
At this point I was manager, security, expo, food runner, Dj etc…Although they could increase my hourly pay to compensate me for the extra work, the way they did Esteban, Gammeeok refused. If they were having money problems, as they claimed, why keep wasted cooks? Why weren’t they trying to increase business? How were they able to open a second New Jersey location totaling 3 Gammeeok’s? Derek didn’t care if we were making money, because he was set with the laundering Tony told me about, verified by their behavior. This is a condensed version of events. Derek then refused to give me my w2. Their attorney pretended to settle, under the impression they were beating the clock. Thinking the statute of limitations expired, they told my lawyers they don’t care about my mental health, sue (exact words). Say less, keep the same energy during legal proceedings (p.s the Hispanic busboy and his brother are also suing for the same reason). This is why I’m a protected citizen and sexual harassment courses in NYC are mandatory annually, something Gammeeok never did, enjoy that time, Athena & Horus.Via: Facebook & Jaquana Cornelius
Updated: 5/15/2025 11:12pm