Robinson sent the waitress home and instructed all other female wait staff not to approach the table.
“I felt that it was a risk factor,” he said.
Earlier, Robinson said he personally greeted Palavidis at the front desk of the two-hatted restaurant and that he became “almost aggressive” when his favourite table was taken. Robinson claimed Palavidis demanded he kick off a group of eight to make way for him and his guests.
“Mr Palavidis was agitated from the moment they walked through the door,” Robinson said.
Palavidis is a managing director of Acoustic Logic Consultancy, a company that specialises in noise and vibration engineering for major developments, including The Wharf at Woolloomooloo and the NSW Police headquarters.
Mimi’s is one of Merivale’s most successful venues, winning two hats in this year’s Good Food Guide.
Outside the court, Palavidis did not respond to questions. Merivale’s top VIP said he was on his phone, hid in a bus stop and then under his jacket when he was asked whether Australia’s largest hospitality group had protected him.
The company said in November that Palavidis was still allowed to visit its venues despite being charged. The waitress is the first Merivale staff member to take a VIP guest to court.
The company has made a fortune out of its lucrative three-tier VIP stream, which encourages Sydney’s business elite to spend thousands at its restaurants in return for special treatment at its bars, clubs and restaurants across the city.
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Merivale, which owns more than 70 sites with an estimated worth of more than $3 billion, is under investigation by SafeWork NSW following claims of sexual harassment, exploitation and drug use at the company’s high-profile Sydney bars and restaurants, including the Ivy and Totti’s Bondi.
The hospitality giant stepped down from the board of the Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association in October following an investigation by the Herald, The Age and Good Food, which revealed claims the company exploited women, encouraged them to have sex with customers, perpetuated sexual harassment and facilitated frequent drug use.
Merivale chief executive Justin Hemmes said in October he was “devastated to read the allegations against Merivale concerning our staff and our culture, and sincerely apologise for any distress and concern that you may be feeling”.
The hearing continues.
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