Round Table Pizza in VanMall neighborhood pays almost $158,000 in restitution, fines after splitting tips with managers

The U.S. Department of Labor recovered around $129,000 in tips and damages from the owner of Round Table Pizza at 5016 N.E. Thurston Way in the VanMall neighborhood, the department announced Monday. The restaurant was also hit with a $28,548 penalty.

Investier LLC, which operates 14 Round Table Pizza locations around Portland and Vancouver, was found to be unlawfully keeping a portion of tips earned by employees by allowing managers to participate in the restaurant’s tip pool, the department said.

The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employers and managers from keeping employees’ tips for any purpose.

“Many restaurant employers continue to shortchange vulnerable workers by using the tips they receive to supplement managers’ and supervisors’ salaries,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum. Walum is located in the Department of Labor’s Portland office.

The department collected $64,681 in unpaid tips and $64,681 in liquidated damages for 52 employees from Investier LLC, plus the penalty, which totaled $157,910.

A representative for the local company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“We are determined to stop these unlawful schemes,” Walum said. “As Round Table Pizza has learned, wage theft in any form has costly consequences for employers.”