Home Wine Kitchen, in Maplewood, and Table, in South St. Louis, both owned by chef, Cassy Vires, are the targets of a lawsuit alleging unlawful tip pooling, according to a report in STL Today.
Two former servers at Home Wine Kitchen are plaintiffs in the suit. Vires and her husband, co-owner, Josh Renbarger, and the couple’s legal entity, Vires-Renbarger Inc. are the defendants.
The suit alleges that Vires and Renbarger violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the Missouri Minimum Wage Law by requiring the two servers to contribute their tips into a tip pool that was distributed to managers and kitchen staff as well as other servers and bussers, STL Today states.
Servers have a lower minimum wage, which is supposed to be compensated for by tips — not to go to managers and kitchen staff.
Renbarger, reached at Home Wine Kitchen by STL Today, said he wasn’t aware of the lawsuit.
Read the full article in STL Today.