Mario Batali to sell stakes in restaurant, grocery empire

March 6 (UPI) -- Celebrity chef Mario Batali sold his entire stake in a group of restaurants he shared with the Bastianich family, he said Wednesday, more than a year after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.

Formerly known as Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, the company operates 16 restaurants throughout the country, but as of this week, Batali's name has been stripped from the company's website.

"I have reached an agreement with Joe and no longer have any stake in the restaurants we built together. I wish him the best of luck in the future," Batali said of former partner Joe Bastianich.

In a note to staff, the company said partner Tanya Bastianich Manuali will handle day-to-day operations of the company.

"We wanted to let you all know that Mario is now fully divested from our businesses. This week, we acquired all of his interests in our restaurants," the company said in the note.

Batali "will no longer profit from the restaurants in any way, shape or form," Bastianich Manuali said.

Batali stepped away from day-to-day operations of his restaurant empire and ABC lifestyle program The Chew in December 2017 after four women told Eater New York that he touched them inappropriately over the past two decades.

A spokesman for Eataly, Batali's chain of Italian supermarkets, said the chef also is selling his shares of that company.

"Eataly is in the process of acquiring Mr. Batali's minority interest in Eataly USA," Chris Giglio said.