2 days ago
Boston restaurant cited for $1.8M for allowing managers to participate in tip pools
The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has cited a high-end Boston restaurant for over $1.8 million for violating state wage laws that bar managers from participating in tip pools.
On Tuesday, the attorney general's office issued citations against Zuma — a modern Japanese restaurant located inside the Four Seasons hotel — and its manager, Garrett Ronan, for requiring that service workers share their tips with employees who had managerial duties, according to a press release.
Zuma did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
The attorney general's office began investigating Zuma in July 2022 after it received a complaint from one of the restaurant's employees, according to the release. The staff member said that employees who'd been promoted were continuing to participate in the restaurant's tip pool despite now being ineligible under state law.
Massachusetts wage laws allow tip pooling for wait staff, bartenders and other service employees. But even if managers and supervisors help serve customers, they are barred from participation in tip pools on any day on which they were tasked with managerial duties.
The attorney general's office alleges that, between July 2022 and July 2024, Zuma allowed employees with managerial duties, which it referred to as 'captains,' to illegally participate in its tip pool, according to the release.
The restaurant is being cited for a total of approximately $1,813,850, which includes penalties and restitution for unpaid wages, the attorney general's office said. Some Zuma employees are set to receive as much as $50,000 in lost earnings.
Massachusetts residents who believe their workplace rights have been violated are encouraged to file a complaint with the attorney general's office at For more information about state workplace laws, call the office's Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or visit
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