Little Bangkok owner says not at fault in wage claim
February 3, 2012 at 1:54 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Dave Scheer, the co-owner of Little Bangkok in East Grand Forks, said Friday that his restaurant has been found to be faultless in a wage claim investigated earlier this week by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Continue Reading
I have trouble empathizing with restaurant owners when they’re allowed to pay their servers less than minimum wage and have tips make up the difference.
Hot debate. What do you think?
25 
17
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
18 
39
Looks to me like the DEMOCRAT run state of Minnesota found him not at fault.
So Jeff, Wheres the Calvary?
btw… if you dont have the ability to figure the little tidbit i provided on your own, how can you be so sure the owner is even a Republican?
You’re like my dog, she will bark at anything and everything without even knowing what shes barking at.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
29 
7
The “Calvary” is a legendary spot outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Like or Dislike:
15 
3
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
6 
31
If this creep was not found to be at fault, why does the state still have the investigation opened? What makes me wonder is this: The employee was going between the 2 restaurants, did management make him clock in and out at both places? Also, when the employee got paid, was it all on one check or was it 2 separate checks? If it truly was 2 separate operations, then technically, the employee should be clocking in and out at each business and they should be issuing 2 separate checks. Sounds to me like this guy is just trying to get out of paying a fair wage. However, on that note, in MN an employer doesn’t have to pay overtime unless the employee has worked more than 48 hours in a week.
Like or Dislike:
11 
18
Gene, Minnesota requires employers to pay minimum wage. There is no tip credit in MN. So when you visit EGF, your servers are in fact making at least 7.25 an hour vs Grand Forks where they make 4.86 an hours.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
33 
4
Thanks for the info. Should have known.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
19 
1
Servers at Little Bangkok make 5.25/hour.
Like or Dislike:
14 
1
You seem to have some insight into this. Do they have to share their tips?
Like or Dislike:
11 
2
Yes. I’m told it is mandatory.
Like or Dislike:
13 
1
Tried to go to the Drunken Noodle today…there was a sign in the door saying something about the MN Helth Department wouldn’t let them open…sounds fishy.
Like or Dislike:
17 
4
I find it hard to believe that they pay only 5.25 an hour…especially in MN. Maybe that is why they are in trouble. Talk to any other restaurant over there and they will tell you they have to pay 7.25 for servers. Also, in MN it is illegal to force your employees to share tips with another employee that is not normally tipped. You can make them share with bartenders, and other servers, but according to the state, you can’t make your servers share tips with cooks, dishwashers or anyone else that isn’t normally tipped.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
16 
1
There is the discrepancy.
Draw from that your own conclusions.
Like or Dislike:
10 
3
Starting to look like Litte Bankok is a LIttle bit guilty.
Like or Dislike:
19 
10
I agree. If the investigation was finished and LB was found to be not at fault one would assume the state would have said that. I am thinking there is more to this than what is being said by the owner in this article.
Like or Dislike:
15 
4
bac…I haven’t seen you in town for a while so I have get you while you’re here. I decided on the name that I’m going to call. It’s nincompoop…okay…now we are even.
Like or Dislike:
9 
2
LOL!
Like or Dislike:
7 
3
In a way, its an unfair advantage to EGF restaurants having to pay a higher wage than their counterparts do in GF. 7.25 in MN vs. 4.86…big difference. I certainly understand now when I go to a restaurant on the south side why they have double the servers on vs. restaurants in EGF.
Like or Dislike:
4 
11
Also, it would be interesting to see if the 2 employees that did file the complaint were still employed? Any guesses?
Like or Dislike:
9 
5
The complaints are confidential, so it would be pure speculation, but probably. As stated in the article the claimants will not be “held responsible” aka “retaliated against.” Although, obviously restaurant owners who are allegedly bending the law in myriad ways do have to be held responsible. Shame, department of labor.
Like or Dislike:
12 
3
Did the rest of you read the same article? I see that a couple of hard-working employees saw that their employer was opening another restaurant & wanted to get some more hours. (FYI – many restaurant workers work at more than one place) WIth one SPECIAL caveat: they thought that as they were working for the same owner, they would/should receive OVERTIME! Evidently, they thought they found a loophole, and MN said “No”. Employees may, or may not be out of a job. Employers out $$$ for defending their position. Too bad the employees didn’t go to their employer, or get some solid advise. How can any restaurant owner pay overtime for positions that they can pay normal wages for?
I have eaten many wonderful meals at Little Bangkok, and not only has the food been marvelous, the staff has been happy, knowledgeable and very friendly.
@J??? – is there any topic that you haven’t tried to throw under the Red-Blue / Left-Right / Dem-Rep bus? Dang, you are really becoming a complete boor! On top of that, you are normally misinformed or just plain-old uninformed.
Like or Dislike:
21 
7
So, donny, which one do you own?
Like or Dislike:
4 
12
We’ll never be told the details of the complaint. We’ll never know who is responsible for what.
Kinda like the Kennedy assassination. Those few who know…know. The many who don’t…guess.
Like or Dislike:
9 
2
Little Bangkok has been more than a little banged around by this board staying up this long. The right thing to do would be to take it down.
Like or Dislike:
2 
2