Halls from p 29 include two bars, a pizzeria, a Mexican food restaurant, a wine store, an acai bowl cafe, and a burger and bagel joint, all surround a central courtyard filled with picnic tables and lawn games. Customers move throughout the space, grabbing a beer from one spot, a cocktail from another, and a bite to eat from a third, perfect for a group of friends who can’t collectively decide where they want to eat. While covered by a shared roof and fitted with large fans, the Churchill is an outdoor space, important to take into account in the summer. Mekong Plaza 66 South Dobson Road, Mesa 480-363-9009 mekongplaza.com Before H Mart moved in, Mesa had Mekong Plaza. This old shopping center was converted into a food and drink hub, operated and visited by the local Asian community. The plaza is anchored by Mekong Supermarket and Mekong Palace, a large dim sum restaurant. Inside, there is every level of dining option, from the central restaurant, to smaller full-service cafes dotted around the edges, to a food court with different restaurant counters and a shared area of tables and chairs. Part of the fun here is to try a little bit of every- thing. Maybe grab a milk tea with boba to sip on while you look around. Order a tray of dumplings from Happy Bao’s, try a couple of bites from some of the food court vendors, and snag some ice cream on your way out. This shopping plaza has an old- school vibe and food you can’t miss. Soon, the plaza will have even more spots to try. Developers broke ground on a 35,000-square-foot expansion on July 13. 30 Mercado De Los Cielos 7611 West Thomas Road 623-245-1404 desertskymall.com The Mercado De Los Cielos is really a mall inside a mall. Located in the West Valley off Thomas Road and 75th Avenue, shoppers will find the Desert Sky Mall. Drive around the back, and a sign painted the colors of the Mexican flag will come into view. Inside, little stands and tiny stores sell their wares. If you are looking for a haircut, a glittering quinceañera dress, a new pair of cowboy boots, or a place to fix your watch, the Mercado has got you covered. But tucked in the corner is the most exciting part. A host of small restaurants serve a range of Mexican and fusion foods, including Mexican sushi, massively long folded quesadillas, bowls of menudo, and plates of seafood. A bakery offers slices of milk-soaked tres leches cake and little cups of flan. A location of La Carreta De Lily, a Valley chain of dessert and snack shops, sells coconuts piled high with toppings, fruit cups drenched in chile and chamoy, and other decadent desserts and snacks. Spanish music bumping, families laughing, kids playing, it’s all part of the fun at this mall within a mall. Lead Parachute Golden Margarita loses its luster as ex- employees sue to recover pay. BY NATASHA YEE ness’s former staff, who claim they are owed unpaid wages, and its owners, Saraj Gem Ray and his unnamed wife. Two former employees filed a labor suit A against the business in the U.S. District Court in Arizona on May 6, alleging that The Golden Margarita violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay employees their wages. The popular Roosevelt Row Mexican restaurant and party bar abruptly announced on Instagram that it had closed its doors on May 9. During less than two years in business, the bar faced down community safety complaints, nearby shootings, and a months-long battle with the city of Phoenix over its liquor license. Drama still plagues Ray’s business. Chauncey Alexander, a bar manager and human resources administrator at The Golden Margarita from August 2020 to April 2022, and Megan Krajewski, who worked as a server at the business for three months before also leaving in April, joined 18 other former employees in pursuing unpaid wages. The unpaid wages include overtime pay, owed tip credits to make up for submin- imum wage for tipped employees, and a deduction of 25 percent of credit card tips that was redirected to the business owners. Former employees also claim they are owed reimbursement for customer walkouts, cash shortages, or inadvertent employee mistakes, which became the financial responsibility of employees. This was all amid a “practice of failing to pay timely, or at all, their regular paychecks,” according to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs of which are being represented by Clifford and Christopher Bendau of the Bendau Law Firm in Phoenix. When employees were paid on time, “such paychecks would often return as having nonsufficient funds,” the suit says. Other former employees, named in the lawsuit as “tipped collective members” or “non-tipped hourly collective members” can join the action to recover unpaid wages. Cliff Bendau is unsure of exactly how much is owed to former employees, citing “a consistent failure to pay paychecks just about every week.” “A lot of the employees I have spoken with have said their payday custom was couple of months after The Golden Margarita closed, an ongoing legal battle is raging between the busi- AUG 11TH–AUG 17TH, 2022 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
