Tofu House Serving up Meaty Settlements

The Korean restaurant chain, Kaju Tofu & BBQ (also often known as Gaju), has reached a settlement in a nearly three-year-old case. Former employees and plaintiffs, Yu Fen Jin and Ming Shu Jin sued the tofu/BBQ brand in July 2012 for various wage and hour claims.

Plaintiffs alleged that, as servers at the restaurant, they were continuously denied meal and rest periods even if they worked the applicable amount of hours. In fact, given the number of hours the servers were expected to work, employees were actually making less than minimum wage per hour. At the time of filing, the minimum wage in California was $8 per hour.

These minimum wage violations and meal and rest period violations took place from 2008 to 2012. The restaurant chain, a subsidiary of Broadland Investment Inc., is owned by Jerry and Irene Roan. The case settled on the 7th day of trial for $250,000.

Minimum wage and rest/meal break violations are common in restaurants, especially smaller restaurant chains. There is a culture of constant work, no breaks, for the good of the restaurant’s business. If this sounds familiar, please do not hesitate to contact an Aegis attorney immediately to discuss your situation.

Source: Daily Journal