Investigation recovers $215K in back wages after finding Jacksonville restaurant chain kept workers’ tips, failed to pay minimum wage, overtime

Employer:                       Kazu Sushi Burrito

Investigation sites:              Kazu Sushi Burrito LLC, 6025 Butler Point Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256

                                              Kazu Sushi Burrito III LLC, 4600 Tropea Way, Jacksonville, FL 32246

                                              Kazu Sushi Burrito 4 LLC, 693 3rd St., Jacksonville, FL 32250

                                              Kazu Sushi Burrito 5 LLC, 1000 S. Ponce De Leon Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32084

                                              Kazu Sushi Burrito 6 LLC, 935 Durbin Pavilion Drive, St. Johns, FL 32259

Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the operator of a chain of Jacksonville-area fast-food restaurants illegally kept a portion of employees’ tips, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Kazu Sushi also paid some employees a flat salary without regard to the number of hours worked. By doing so, the employer violated minimum wage restrictions when the employees’ average hourly rate fell below the federal minimum wage. Kazu Sushi also failed to pay those same salaried non-exempt workers the overtime premium due for hours over 40 in a workweek. In addition, the employer did not maintain complete and accurate time and pay records.

Back wages recovered: The division recovered $215,190 in back wages for 100 workers.                     

Quote: “Too often, restaurant industry workers are victims of wage theft by their employers,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Wildalí De Jesús in Orlando, Florida. “These workers depend on every dollar they earn to provide for themselves and their families. There is no excuse for employers to intentionally deny these hard-working people their lawfully earned wages.”

Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 866-4-US-WAGE. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including its search tool to learn if you are owed back wages collected by the division and an overview about the FLSA protections for restaurant workers. Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions – regardless of their immigration status – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free.