Bliss Restaurant Bar & Catering Inc. – Unpaid Minimum Wages

Kessler Matura P.C. has filed a federal class and collective action lawsuit against Bliss Restaurant Bar & Catering Inc. and its owner Ronald Hoffman for failing to pay their tipped employees minimum wage.

The lawsuit claims Bliss paid servers, bartenders, and bussers only $20 per shift, no matter how long they worked. This often resulted in hourly pay as low as $2.10, which is below the legal minimum wage — even for tip-earning workers.

The Complaint further alleges that the defendants violated both federal and New York State labor laws by failing to provide tipped employees with proper wage notices and accurate paystubs. Specifically, the lawsuit claims that Bliss Restaurant did not inform workers about tip credits being taken against their wages, nor did they furnish employees with required wage statements detailing hours worked, rates of pay, and deductions.

Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that tipped employees were required to spend excessive time (approximately 25-33% of their shifts) performing non-tipped work, such as setting up the outdoor patio, cutting fruits and vegetables, stocking condiments, folding linens, and polishing silverware and glasses. This practice, known as “side work,” violated labor regulations limiting the amount of non-tipped duties that can be assigned to tipped workers while still paying them a subminimum wage.

The case seeks to recover unpaid minimum wages, liquidated damages, and statutory damages on behalf of all tipped workers employed by Bliss since March 2019.

If you worked as a tipped employee at Bliss or would like more information about your rights, please contact Garrett Kaske or Tana Forrester.