Tag Archives: Wage Theft

Marigold Design House AKA Royal India’s Wedding Grift

Have you heard of Marigold Design House?
It won’t shock me if you haven’t. We usually talk about Royal India’s (now Dastoor’s) rampant wage theft and worker abuses here, but Marigold Design House is a name you should also know. Marigold is co-owned by Dastoor owner Aisha Bhatti and it is not exempt from her immoral and corrupt business practices. SeaSol has received multiple tips from customers and industry colleagues about her shady behavior at MDH, and some of the numbers are staggering.

  • In 2023 we spoke with a victim that Marigold Design House hustled out of $50,000. MDH was paid in full and two weeks before the wedding they refused to either deliver services or refund the money.
  • A few weeks ago a former client reached out to tell us about their experience with Marigold. They were quoted close to $100,000 and treated with extreme disregard, unprofessionalism and failure to deliver on basic planning responsibilities. You can read their reddit review for more details
  • In 2019 the Seattle Models Guild sued Marigold Design House for almost $10,000 after refusing to pay 12 models for their time. Source [search case number 19-2-00483-5]
  • One Yelp user reports Marigold Design House delivered none of what was promised—ignored their input, charged over $150K beyond their agreed budget without transparency or accountability, and ultimately ruined their reception with unapproved designs and outrageous hidden fees. Source
  • Another Yelp user says Marigold Design House misled them with false promises, charged exorbitantly for minimal service, ignored their budget, and threatened legal action when the client sought a refund. Source

Just search Marigold Design House and we’re confident you’ll come to the same conclusion we have: Aesha Bhatti follows the same pattern of abuse, deception, intimidation and exploitation at MDH that she did at Royal India and at Dastoor.

City Orders Work Stoppage Due to Dangerous Conditions at Royal India Kirkland

Image of Work Stoppage Sign Photos from Royal India Kirkland
Photo of Work Stoppage Signs Posted on Royal India Kirkland’s Doors

On March 7, 2024, the Planning and Building Department of the City of Kirkland forced Royal India’s Kirkland location to close its doors with a stop work notice due to dangerous conditions at the restaurant. The conditions Royal India’s owners, the infamous Bhatti family, have continuously failed to address represent a serious public safety concern. The restaurant failed to bring their hood suppression system into compliance with regulations for fire protection of commercial cooking operations enforced by the City–regulations put in place to keep workers, customers, and neighbors safe. The notice posted at noon on March 7th states that “deadlines were repeatedly extended and details of needs outlined numerous times without compliance. Final deadline was: February 29, 2024.” 

This recklessness the Bhattis displayed with the safety of their workers and customers is more evidence of a pattern of behavior for these crooked business owners. They break laws left and right, with no concern for the impacts of their self-serving and dangerous behavior on others as long as it lines their own pockets. They appear to think that laws do not apply to them (and they usually get away with it–see our previous blog post on how and why!).

In addition to being kept safe from hazardous fire conditions, workers at Royal India restaurants deserve to be paid properly and promptly for their work, and to be treated with respect. On March 25, 2023, members of the Seattle Solidarity Network went to the Kirkland restaurant location and delivered a demand to the Bhatti family to pay two former workers, Juan and Pedro, $130 and $1,500 respectively in stolen wages. These demands have not been met. Help us show Aeisha and Mohammad Rashid Bhatti that they cannot continue to steal from their workers and do business in our communities by boycotting both locations of Royal India Fine Dining & Catering until Juan and Pedro are paid what they are owed.