Local restaurant group hit with federal lawsuit

A local restaurant group, with multiple restaurants across Central Ohio, is being sued after accusations of wage violations. 

A Franklin County woman is alleging that The Goat Restaurant and Bar, owned by One Lifestyle, Ltd., required her and other tipped employees to share tips with their managers. According to the filing, for every direct deposit transaction paid through the software “Kickfin,” the restaurant collected $1 from their tips. The lawsuit also claims that tipped employees spent a “substantial” amount of time performing non-tipped work for less than minimum wage. According to the filing, workers routinely spent 30 minutes before opening and around 45 minutes after closing partaking in stocking and janitorial work while un-tipped and getting paid less than minimum wage.

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio wage laws, managers are prohibited from keeping employee tips, employees cannot use their tips to cover business expenses, and employers are required to inform workers about the tipping system. When employees are required to perform non-tipped duties, they can’t be paid a reduced minimum wage, according to the Act.

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The plaintiff worked at The Goat’s LC RiverSouth location, at 219 S. High St. and picked up shifts at New Albany and Gahanna as well. The complaint alleges that before filing this lawsuit, she discussed these issues with her manager at the RiverSouth location. 

She’s seeking repayment of unpaid wages and unlawfully retained tips, and liquidated damages and attorney fees.

614Now reached out to Lifestyle Communities, but they did not respond to our request for comment.

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