The Fair Work Commission has taken legal action against the owner of now-closed Bar Spritz

More grief has flared up for a Brisbane family who spent about 40 years in the city’s hospitality game.

Veteran Brisbane cafe owner Joe Virzi. Picture: Sarah Keayes

BARISTA BLUE

More grief has flared up for a Brisbane family who spent about 40 years in the city’s hospitality game.

Joe Virzi was forced to close his Bar Spritz venue on the Kangaroo Point cliffs early last year after a series of disputes with the Brisbane City Council, which later leased the site to another operator.

Now we’ve learned that the Fair Work Ombudsman has sued Virzi and his solely-owned G&G Group Trading Pty Ltd for allegedly failing to resolve a pay issue with a former staffer.

The Fair Work Commission late last year found that G&G had unfairly dismissed a barista and ordered the company to pay the worker just over $5000 in compensation and another $677 for super entitlements.

Veteran cafe owner Joe Virzi.

But the company has allegedly still not paid her and did not respond to what the Fair Work Ombudsman described as “several attempts to secure voluntary compliance’’.

As a result, the regulator has launched legal action in Federal Circuit Court alleging both Virzi and his firm failed to comply with an order.

The company faces a fine of up to $66,600 and Virzi could be penalised up to $13,320, in addition to the money owed to the worker.

Virzi, whose family formerly operated La Dolce Vita café on Park Road in Milton, was unaware of the proceeding when City Beat rang for a chat on Monday.

But a group spokesman later told us there was a mistaken belief the employee had been paid and the issue settled.

“He (Virzi) has not yet been served with the court material but he will take immediate steps to resolve the matter,’’ the spokesman said.

SUDDEN DEPARTURE

An award-winning senior figure with the state’s embattled building industry regulator has quit suddenly.

Yvonne Pengilly, an assistant commissioner and former board member of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, departed in the last week or so after nearly three years with the agency.

Pengilly, a builder who previously established industry group Women In Construction FNQ, could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Yvonne Pengilly

But City Beat spies tell us her exit follows a series of disputes with colleagues over her push for more building site inspections.

It’s also understood that she played a key role in the QBCC’s unsuccessful legal action against Gold Coast builder Groupline Constructions.

FUNDING FAILURE

The Toowoomba-based boss of a failed fund manager faces up to 20 years in the iron motel if found guilty of alleged criminal wrongdoing.

Holly Marie Grofski served as managing director of Global Merces Funds Management before it collapsed early last year owing just over $1m to creditors.

ASIC has now moved to charge her with one count each of providing false information to auditors, falsifying books and records, and “dishonestly or recklessly failing to exercise her powers and discharge her duties’’.

Grofski fronted up to Brisbane Magistrates Court last week and was released on bail, with the matter adjourned to July 16.

She has yet to enter a plea and could not be contacted on Monday.

Launched in 2014, the company oversaw four active funds at the time of its demise.