A hospitality group is facing a collective and class action lawsuit over alleged wage violations involving servers and bartenders at its Illinois restaurant locations. The complaint, filed by Cameron Lippold on March 24, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, accuses Flagship Restaurant Group, LLC of failing to comply with federal and state labor laws.
The lawsuit claims that Flagship Restaurant Group has systematically violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), and Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA) over the past three years. According to the complaint, these violations include underpayment of minimum and overtime wages to servers and bartenders at Blue Sushi Sake Grill locations in Chicago and Naperville. Lippold alleges that the company failed to provide adequate notice regarding tip credits under both federal and state laws, thereby invalidating any tip credit they claimed.
In addition to wage underpayment, the lawsuit accuses Flagship Restaurant Group of enforcing an unlawful tip-sharing policy. Servers and bartenders were allegedly required to share their tips with non-direct service employees such as sushi chefs and managers who did not have meaningful interaction with customers. This practice is said to contravene FLSA regulations which prohibit employers from requiring tipped employees to share tips with non-customarily tipped staff or supervisors.
Furthermore, Lippold contends that servers and bartenders were made to perform non-tipped duties for more than 20% of their workweek without receiving full minimum wage compensation for this time. These duties included tasks like rolling silverware and cleaning tables—activities outside their primary job responsibilities as tipped employees.
Lippold seeks certification for several collectives under 29 U.S.C. § 216(b) for FLSA violations: a Tip Credit Notice Collective, a Tip Pool Collective, and a Dual Jobs Collective. Additionally, he requests class certification under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 for violations of IMWL and IWPCA concerning minimum wage and overtime pay.
The plaintiffs are asking the court for unpaid wages, liquidated damages equal to those unpaid wages, reimbursement of improperly shared tips, attorney’s fees, litigation costs, and any other relief deemed just by the court.
The case is represented by attorneys Jordan Richards from USA Employment Lawyers - Jordan Richards PLLC based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The case ID is 1:25-cv-03128.