LA’s Genwa Korean BBQ Faces $2.1 Million in Files for Labor Violations

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LAs Genwa Korean BBQ Faces 21 Million in Files for Labor Violations.jpg

Popular LA Korean barbecue restaurant, Genwa, faces $2.1 million in fines due to labor law violations like failing to keep proper time records, failure to pay overtime, and failure to provide mandatory meal breaks. 

LA’s Popular Genwa Korean Barbecue Restaurant Allegedly Violated Numerous Labor Laws:

Alleged violations at Genwa affected 325 dishwashers, servers, and cooks at two different restaurant locations in Los Angeles, one in Beverly Hills and the other in Mid-Wilshire. The owners of Genwa Korean BBQ were cited for violations by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office in late January and fined $2.1 million. The company allegedly failed to pay workers minimum wage, provide overtime pay, and provide mandatory meal breaks and rest periods. 

Other Genwa Locations Not Included in the Lawsuit:

Genwa, an upscale Korean BBQ restaurant with numerous locations, caters to a mix of Korean and non-Korean clientele. All three locations are distinctly outside of Koreatown, but only two of the three sites were listed in the lawsuit. The Downtown South Park location was not included. Typical for a Korean barbecue restaurant, a lot of the cooking takes place on a tabletop grill in front of the customers, a practice that puts more labor focus on service-oriented staff. Similar issues seem to riddle the Korean barbecue world as a whole, as illustrated by the wage theft and labor issue-focused feature in a Los Angeles Times article published in 2019.

Investigations Uncovered Multiple Labor Law Violations: 

After an investigation based on Genwa worker complaints, numerous violations were discovered. 

  • Genwa required their full-time staff to clock out multiple times a day (during an 11-hour shift).

  • Genwa refused to allow workers to take legally mandated rest and meal breaks.

  • More than 50% of Genwa workers were paid less than minimum wage.

  • 50% of Genwa workers were not provided full overtime pay or required itemized wage statements.

  • Genwa servers were required to attend quarterly meetings without compensation, regardless of scheduled days off.

Fines, Damages, and Penalties for Labor Law Violations:

Due to the numerous labor law violations, J.B.K. Wilshire Corporation, Genwa, Inc. and Genwa’s corporate officers, Jay and Jin Kwon are required to pay $1,428,759. The payment is intended to cover unpaid wages, missed meal periods and rest breaks, split shift premiums, overtime, liquidated damages, and waiting time penalties for any affected Genwa employees. The corporation, the restaurant, and its officers were fined an additional $633,800 in civil penalties. Genwa workers affected by the labor law violations will receive damages, missing wages, and interest. The employers have appealed.

If you need to discuss employment law violations or if you need to file an overtime lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.