Downtown Charleston restaurant owed workers $624K in tips

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Monday announced thousands of dollars in tips recovered for workers at a Downtown Charleston restaurant who had been forced to participate in an illegal tip pool.

According to the DOL, management at 167 Raw on King Street “required tipped employees to share tips illegally,” splitting the funds between “management and other typically non-tipped employees.” The restaurant also “failed to pay tipped employees the difference between their direct wages and the federal minimum wage” and paid less than the federal requirement for overtime rates.

The investigation found 92 workers were shortchanged a total of $624,017 as a result of the illegal financial structure.

Wage and Hour Division District Director, Jamie Benefiel, explained that such violations “are common in the restaurant industry, and they can quickly add up to costly consequences.”

Benefiel went on to say “restaurant industry employers must know and comply with federal requirements to claim the tip credit,” and that “retaining and recruiting workers is more difficult when employers fail to respect workers’ rights and pay them their full wages.”

167 Raw issued the following statement in response:

“In 2021, 167 Raw King Street LLC entered into a voluntary agreement with the U.S. Department of
Labor regarding its tip-pooling procedure. The Department of Labor found the process to be in conflict
with provisions of certain regulations.

A tip pool was established to include and compensate our team members who are integral to a positive
dining experience at our restaurant. Before establishing the pool, we sought advice from legal counsel
and were told that it was legal and appropriate to do so. Months later, however, the Department of
Labor concluded that these procedures were in direct violation of certain federal guidelines. The
Department began a full investigation and determined that while we had not intentionally violated any
regulation, we had instead relied upon incorrect legal advice. The full details of this were disclosed to
our team members and compensation was handled accordingly. We fully cooperated with the
Department of Labor to establish new procedures within the Department’s guidelines and took the
necessary steps to correct the misallocation of tips. It is important to note that the owners of 167 Raw
King Street LLC never shared in or participated in the former tip pool.

We continue to prioritize our team members and choosing to enter this voluntary agreement with the
Department last year ensured that our valued team members continue to be well-compensated within
the framework of evolving federal guidelines.”

167 Raw King Street LLC

If you think you may be owed back wages, click here for more information on how to claim them.