Dunkin’ store owner agrees to $22,000 settlement over labor claims
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
UPDATE: Several mid-Missouri businesses operating as Dunkin' stores have settled a labor issue with the federal government.
Anup Thakkar and his three businesses, Donut World, Donut Star and Donut Galaxy, agreed to a $22,424.12 settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor in September 2020. The three businesses operate as Dunkin' stores in Columbia and Jefferson City. The money representing unpaid wages and damages is intended to go to workers at the three stores affected from March 2017 to March 2019.
The Department of Labor sued Thakkar and the stores in August over claims they did not pay their workers a minimum wage or overtime. As part of the agreement, Thakkar said he would do so and keep proper records of employee's wages and hours.
Donut World, located on South Providence Road in Columbia, paid the largest part of the settlement at $13,036.62. Donut Star, located on Elm Street, will pay $2,432.70. Donut Galaxy, operating on Missouri Boulevard in Jefferson City, agreed to pay $6,954.80.
ABC 17 News sent Thakkar a request for comment.
ORIGINAL: The federal labor department claims a chain of mid-Missouri doughnut stores have not properly paid its workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday against three Dunkin' stores and one of its owners, Anup Thakkar. The stores include two Columbia locations, on South Providence Road and Elm Street, and one Jefferson City spot on Missouri Boulevard.
The lawsuit claims the stores have not paid employees above the state's previous minimum wage of $7.25 an hour since March 2017. The department also alleges that the restaurants did not pay workers a proper overtime wage and that owners did not keep "adequate and accurate" records of employee's wages and hours worked.
The lawsuit calls for a judge to order the stores pay for any unpaid minimum wages or overtime lost since 2017. It does not specify how much money that might be.
Neither the Department of Labor nor Thakkar returned messages seeking comment on Monday.
