Tom Douglas restaurant workers to get $2.4M settlement

restaurant empire of Seattle chef Tom Douglas will pay $2.4 million to more than 1,000 current and former employees after settling a class-action lawsuit.

Seattle Times reports suit against operator of Dahlia Lounge, Palace Kitchen, Brave Horse Tavern and more than a dozen or local eateries accused restaurants of t disclosing how much of a 20% service fee billed to customers went to service workers and of t providing substantial rest and meal breaks.

When Seattle increased its minimum w from $9.19 to $15 in 2015, some restaurants instituted a “surcharge” or “service fee” y claimed would offset burden of paying ir service workers $15. Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen implemented a service fee of 20% of a customer’s bill across its restaurants.

Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen denied any wrongdoing in settlement.

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Information from: Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com