Questions over music festival help spark NJ ABC, local police investigation into Keansburg restaurant
It was also learned this week that three of the restaurant's employees are convicted child sex offenders, according to court documents, and several weddings planned for next week are canceled.
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An investigation is underway at The Beach Gallery restaurant in Keansburg after allegations of employees not being paid – and confusion over who is in charge.
It was also learned this week that three of the restaurant's employees are convicted child sex offenders, according to court documents, and several weddings planned for next week are canceled.
Haley Hopkins was one of the first people hired by the management team at Beach Gallery back in April 2024. But after a few months, Hopkins says her wages didn't add up.
Another former employee contacted manager John Schulte about her unpaid wages according to text messages from November 2024.
And a judgement in the amount of $19,500 was issued by the Department of Labor against the restaurant in favor of a former manager for owed wages.
To date, not a penny of this settlement has been paid, according to the former employee.
RELATED: Keansburg restaurant accused of not paying employees, employing sex offenders
Earlier this week, Keansburg ordered the business to be closed. On Thursday, a statement posted by the owner, Janna Epstein-Jerinsky, on the restaurant's webpage announced the permanent closure, just days after staff were still collecting money for two upcoming weddings. Texts from late last week and over the weekend between Schulte and the wedding parties show him requesting final payments. No refunds have been received.
And now, state and local officials are investigating.
According to the Keansburg Borough manager, officials with the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control began to become suspicious while attending the Bayzara Festival held in town a few weeks ago, when they had problems figuring out who was in charge.
Officials say the same restaurant management team was reportedly promoting the festival and had to pay thousands in owed taxes to get the permits needed for the early September show.
All this happened while community outrage grew after learning on social media that three of the employees, including owner Janna Epstein-Jerinsky's husband Derick, were all convicted of child sex crimes, according to court documents.
Court documents show Schulte was convicted of molesting several boys more than a decade ago. Town officials told News 12 after Schulte was denied an application for a local ABC card just weeks after opening, they had no idea he was still involved in the restaurant's operations.
“We want answers. We want to know who OK'ed this, who signed off on this? Who gave the permits? Who was in charge of background checks? Pretty much who let this slip past them. That's what we want,” said Walter Palczewski, a concerned resident of Keansburg.
In that online statement, Epstein-Jerinsky writes the business is "single-woman-owned and operated” and that “all business and employee decisions are managed by me, the owner," which directly contradicts the many business-related text messages between past employees, wedding customers, and John Schulte.
News 12 has also confirmed at least one person associated with the music festival claims they are owed thousands of dollars from the promotional team.
To see the full statement, click here.
