Los Dos Potrillos settles lawsuit filed by employees for over $3M
DENVER (KDVR) — Local restaurant chain Los Dos Potrillos has settled a lawsuit with employees for $3.75 million after claims of underpaying workers and violating several laws.
According to the class action settlement approved by a federal judge last week, workers claim the restaurant didn't pay the required minimum wage to front-of-house employees and failed to tell customers of the restaurant's tip pooling policy, pay proper overtime rates and provide employees with required rest periods.
The lawsuit was filed by former employee Gladis Castaneda in 2023. Castaneda said the restaurant 'retaliated' and unlawfully terminated her after she told customers of the tip pooling policy.
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Los Dos Portillos provided FOX31 with the following statement:
While we are limited in what we can share due to the ongoing legal process, we remain committed to our core values: Respect, Integrity, Safety, and Excellence in all we do. Our 70% employee retention rate demonstrates our commitment to our team.
Ramirez Hospitality Group
$230,500 of the settlement will go to Castaneda for retaliation claims and $15,000 as the named plaintiff. $1,249,875 will go to attorney fees and costs and $50,000 for costs of administering the settlement.
The remaining settlement money will go to hourly employees for wage and civil theft claims from Jan. 19, 2020, to April 8, 2024. The court document estimates an average payout of $1,565 to workers who are part of the class action settlement, with a range of $25,677 to $65.
The document said the settlement was reached after months of negotiations.
Los Dos Potrillos is a local Mexican restaurant with several locations across the Denver metro. The restaurant has locations in Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Parker and Castle Rock, and just opened its sixth location in Denver.
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