Business & Tech

Nearly $400,000 Recovered in Back Wages at Mexican Eateries, Including Stow Restaurant

The owner of Mexican restaurants in Akron, Stow, Northfield, Tallmadge, Canton and Arlington violated Fair Labor Standard Acts.

The U.S. Department of Labor recovered $397,703 in back wages for 129 workers at nine Mexican restaurants in Ohio owned by Miguel Castro, including in Stow.

The department of labor determined employees at these restaurants were denied minimum wage and overtime pay, which violated the Fair Labor Standars Act.

In addition to the back wages that must be paid out, Castro was also fined $11,000 in civil money penalties for willful and repeat violations, according to the Department of Labor.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Calls made to Miguel Castro Feb. 10 were not immediately returned.

After conducting employee interviews and reviewing time and payroll records, Wage and Hour Division investigators determined the restaurants and Castro violated the FLSA by failing to compensate tipped employees with a minimum hourly rate for hours worked, and to pay overtime to salaried employees who are covered by the act – servers, cooks, dishwashers and bussers, according to Department of Labor press release.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"Cooks, dishwashers and bussers were paid cash salaries and worked as many as 65 hours per week without overtime compensation, while servers received tips only. The restaurant also failed to keep accurate pay and time records," the press release stated.

“Vulnerable, low-wage workers often do not know their legal rights under federal labor laws and have limited employment options,” said George Victory, district director of the department’s Wage and Hour Division in Columbus. “Businesses are obligated to pay their workers fairly, and the Labor Department will ensure that those who are taken advantage of are properly compensated for all of their work.”

Castro owns  Mariachi of Canton Inc. and Mariachi of Jackson Inc., located in Canton. Along with Mariachi's Mexican Restaurant in Stow, Castro owns Mariachi Loco’s, Mariachi Fiesta Inc. and Mariachi Loco’s Mexican Restaurant in Akron, Plaza Maya in Tallmadge,  Mariachi Coco’s in Arlington and Mariachi Coco’s in Northfield.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Stow