Law360 (May 23, 2023, 7:36 PM EDT) — The operator of New York City-area Applebee’s restaurants agreed to pay $1 million to tipped workers claiming they were cheated out of wages and up to $2 million in attorney fees and costs, ending two related collective lawsuits that began in New York federal court a decade ago.
The workers asked the court Monday to approve the settlement that would resolve the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law claims against Apple-Metro Inc., saying the deal is fair and comes after the parties dueled in court for 10 years.
Carlos Marin brought his suit in October 2012, while Shaunta Dove sued in 2013. Dove’s suit was considered related to the Marin one in 2014.
The defendants in the Marin and Dove actions include 37 corporate defendants, collectively considered as Apple-Metro, and seven individual defendants, according to Monday’s memorandum of law in support of the unopposed motion for settlement approval.