Amar Harrag

Full Report

Key Points

• Amar Harrag founded Be Saha Hospitality Group, operating multiple San Diego restaurants and bars, but faced a high-profile employee protest and District Attorney investigation in June 2024 over unpaid wages and tips at The Guild Hotel partnership.
• A labor lawsuit was filed against Be Saha Hospitality Inc. on August 29, 2024, in San Diego County Superior Court, alleging employment-related issues.
• Employee complaints include chronic late payments, bounced checks, and withheld gratuities, impacting staff retention and vendor relations.
• Harrag’s businesses have received generally positive customer reviews for food and ambiance, though some note high prices.
• Recent rebranding to Awe Hospitality Group and involvement in Baja California ventures suggest expansion efforts amid domestic challenges.
• No public records of personal bankruptcy, but expired real estate license from 2012 and ongoing broker status indicate diversified but fluctuating professional activities.

Overview

Amar Harrag is a French-American entrepreneur and dual citizen who graduated from the University of San Diego. He founded Be Saha Hospitality Group, a San Diego-based company specializing in upscale dining and beverage concepts with a focus on mezcal, absinthe, and modern Mexican and French cuisine. The group operates or has operated venues such as Tahona (a mezcal bar and restaurant in Old Town), Wormwood (an absinthe-focused French bistro in North Park), Botanica (a gin bar and NFT art gallery in North Park), Hidden Craft (a self-serve beer bar downtown), and Matisse Bistro locations in San Diego and Irvine. Additionally, Harrag manages several Baja California operations and recently rebranded to Awe Hospitality Group, emphasizing social impact and global storytelling. Outside hospitality, he runs Allied Green Realty, a real estate brokerage, and holds an active California real estate broker license expiring in 2028.

Allegations and Concerns

Serious employee-related complaints center on wage disputes, including failure to pay final May wages and gratuities at The Guild Hotel’s onsite operations, which Be Saha managed until late May 2024. Former staff reported bounced checks persisting for months across multiple locations, leading to a June 5, 2024, protest outside Wormwood restaurant where participants chanted for payment of thousands in owed funds. Harrag attributed issues to an expired contract and claims that the hotel owed him money, but employees countered that these problems were chronic. A former high-level employee highlighted non-payment affecting vendors and suppliers. Online sentiment includes a Reddit thread labeling Harrag a “crook” in connection to these events. The San Diego District Attorney’s Workplace Justice Division launched an investigation on June 12, 2024, seeking anonymous victim statements to pursue remedies.

Customer Feedback

Customer reviews for Harrag’s venues are predominantly positive, praising innovative menus, ambiance, and service, though some highlight pricing concerns. For Tahona, diners describe “unique, delicious” dishes like squash blossoms and mole trio, with “attentive, friendly service,” but note the menu feels limited and overpriced in a tourist area. Wormwood earns acclaim for “phenomenal” food, “exceptional service,” and a cozy patio, with reviewers calling it a “memorable dining experience” and nearly everything “good to excellent” in flavors and presentation; one group enjoyed an intimate happy hour but found the space small. Botanica is lauded as a “friendly neighborhood gin joint” with experiential art. Matisse Bistro receives compliments for its “bright, modern-minimalist interior,” comfy seating, and healthy options like the southwest quinoa bowl with chicken, deemed “wonderful” for lunch. Negative customer notes are minor, such as sunny outdoor seating at Tahona lacking umbrellas. Employee-focused feedback on Indeed is starkly negative, with a single review titled “At least pay your employees,” contributing to an overall 2.0-star rating.

Risk Considerations

Financial risks stem from ongoing cash flow issues evidenced by late and bounced payments, potentially straining operations and leading to vendor disputes or forced closures like the Guild Hotel partnership’s end. Reputational damage is evident from media-covered protests and social media backlash, eroding trust among potential partners and talent in the competitive hospitality sector. Legal risks are elevated due to the active DA investigation and recent lawsuit, which could result in penalties, back pay orders, or broader scrutiny of labor practices. Expansion into Baja via Ethos Baja introduces cross-border regulatory and currency fluctuation vulnerabilities, while diversified real estate activities mitigate some hospitality volatility but carry their own market risks.

Business Relations and Associations

Harrag’s key partnership with The Guild Hotel for dining and events management lasted from late 2022 until May 2024, when ties were severed amid payment disputes; the hotel cited contract expiration, while Harrag claimed unpaid debts from them. He co-owns Matisse Bistro locations with unspecified partners and collaborates on Baja projects through Ethos Baja, a co-founding venture focused on regional impact. Awe Hospitality, his rebranded entity, oversees broader group operations, including charitable ties like a 2023 Corazon de Vida Foundation event benefiting Tijuana orphanages. Culinary director Janina Garay has publicly endorsed the group’s innovative concepts. Real estate ties include Allied Green Realty, with a prior expired officer license under Allied Financial Realty. No major adversarial associations beyond the Guild fallout, though employee anonymity in the DA probe suggests internal relational strains.

Legal and Financial Concerns

The primary legal concern is the San Diego DA’s June 2024 investigation into wage theft at Be Saha, with investigator Yvette Gaines seeking employee contacts for potential prosecutions while respecting anonymity. A civil labor and employment lawsuit, Karl P. Griengo vs. Be Saha Hospitality Inc. (Case 24CL008819C), was filed August 29, 2024, in San Diego County Superior Court under Judge Michael T. Smyth; details remain limited but align with wage dispute patterns. Financially, no bankruptcy records appear for Harrag or Be Saha, but chronic payment delays indicate liquidity pressures, exacerbated by post-pandemic recovery and inflation impacts on venues like Tahona. An earlier real estate license expired in 2012, though his current broker status is active. Harrag’s mortgage-related profile from KAM Financial (NMLS 829433) suggests past lending involvement, but no debts or defaults are documented.

Amar Harrag embodies the high-stakes volatility of San Diego’s hospitality scene, where creative ventures like mezcal havens and absinthe bistros thrive on charisma and partnerships but falter under financial mismanagement. The 2024 wage crisis reveals a pattern of operational strain—likely amplified by pandemic aftershocks and ambitious scaling—that has triggered official scrutiny and a lawsuit, underscoring deeper cultural issues in an industry prone to exploiting tipped workers. While customer enthusiasm sustains venue viability and diversification into realty and Baja offers buffers, unresolved employee grievances pose cascading threats: eroded talent pools, severed alliances like the Guild’s, and amplified negative buzz that could deter investors. Absent swift remediation, such as transparent audits or settlements, Harrag risks entrenching a narrative of unreliability, potentially curtailing Awe Hospitality’s social-impact aspirations and confining his legacy to cautionary tales rather than innovative triumphs. Strategic pivots toward ethical labor practices and fiscal conservatism could rehabilitate his profile, but the DA’s involvement signals a pivotal juncture where inaction might precipitate broader fallout.