Lawsuits

Sparks Settles With Waiters for $3 Million

Photo: Jennifer MacFarlane

It’s payday for waiters at Sparks: The steakhouse must award $3 million to around 200 servers who charged that they were shorted on pooled tips in a class-action lawsuit. The settlement may be the largest ever in a tip-skimming case and will mean up to $20,000 for an individual waiter depending on their tenure, according to the Post. “We sort of feel badly that people think, ‘You cheated your waiters,’ ” owner Micahel Cetta told the Post. Unfortunately for restaurateurs, a big payout means many more suits to come. [NYP]

Update: We’ve now obtained a copy of the order approving the settlement and a transcript of the fairness hearing.

Sparks Settles With Waiters for $3 Million