BOCA RATON JAPANESE RESTAURANT LOSES LAWSUIT, LEGAL CLAIMS SLICED AND DICED

ZAKA’S LAWSUIT MORE LIKE LAWSUSHI… JUDGE DOESN’T NEED GINSU KNIVES WHEN CUTTING CLAIMS AGAINST HIBACHI CHEF…

BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A lawsuit we reported on back in 2023 is largely over, now that Federal and Circuit Court Judges have kicked their parts of claims made by Zaka Japanese Restaurant against its one-time Hibachi Chef, Than Huang. Zaka restaurant, which once operated in the Promenade Shops at U.S. 441 and Clint Moore Road in West Boca Raton, is closed.

As we reported on May 17, 2023, Zaka sued Huang when Huang quit. Huang said he quit over unpaid back-pay and other workplace issues, but Zaka claimed he wasn’t allowed to quit, that he had a fiduciary duty to remain with the restaurant, and that Zaka would fail without him. It turns out only part of the claim turned out to be true: Zaka’s West Boca Raton location failed after Huang left.

Huang’s Attorney, Daniel R. Levine of Padulo Bannardo Levine, told BocaNewsNow.com on Thursday that it’s been a long road to victory, but multiple judges have agreed that there is no case against Than Huang. Levine recapped what’s happened over the past few years:

“Than Huang quits, he sues Zaka in federal court for wages, they sue him for allegedly breaching fiduciary duty for quitting. Then they sued him claiming that he walked off with tools and alcohol. We moved to dismiss both counts. We were successful on the breach of fiduciary claim. Zaka appealed and we won that again. On the (other claim) that got transferred to county court and we won that as well. Now we’re moving for sanctions.”

Levine also told BocaNewsNow.com that this case highlights something that all employers and employees in Florida need to remember: absent a contract, you can quit — or be fired — at any time for any reason. Huang had no contract requiring him to do anything for Zaka.

“It was a wrong that we felt very strongly needed to be righted,” said Levine.

Zaka has seemingly opened and closed multiple times in recent months. Its current status remains unclear, although we did report on its sudden closure late last year.