Barrio Tacos locations in Michigan have been sued for alleged wage theft | Eater Detroit

"The Traverse City franchise, opened by Jacob Hawley in 2021, is named in a federal lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Labor alleging long-running wage violations across three Michigan locations. The suit claims employees were forced to turn over a share of tips to managers after each shift who then redirected those funds to non-tipped employees, that tipped workers were not paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and that overtime was improperly calculated using the tip-credit rate; investigators also allege the employer failed to keep accurate payroll records. The department is seeking $823,324 in back wages and equal liquidated damages for 177 workers and has assessed $23,904 in civil penalties against the owner and the three establishments. These allegations come against a restaurant brand that launched in 2012 and has previously been involved in separate legal disputes over its concept." - Serena Maria Daniels