Mario Batali to pay $5.25 million in tip lawsuit

It looks like Mario Batali and business partner Joseph Bastianich bit off more than they could chew -- at least when it comes to the tips earned by the waiters, captains and other employees of their bi-coastal restaurant empire.

On Friday (March 9), Batali and Bastianich were ordered to pay $5.25 million to employees who claimed the restauranteurs had illegally skimmmed a part of their tips to supplement their profits, reports USA Today.

The class action settlement still needs to be approved by a judge but would cover 1,100 employees -- some who worked for Batali as far back as 2004.

Batali is the celebrity chef who now co-hosts ABC's new talk show "The Chew."