Owner of Several Downtown Bars Sued for Wages by Staff

Yassine Enterprises, which runs such "afflicted" bars as Qua (sharks in the floor), Pure Ultra Lounge, Roial, and Malaia, has been sued in federal court by numerous wait staff and bartenders, alleging that they were never paid their legally required wages.

These hot, popular, lounge, red rope, reservations suggested, bottle service joints full of Ed Hardy-sporting dudes and ultra-mini skirt wearing girls are being served by staff that isn't being paid, allegedly. Maybe that awkward smell is not Axe Body Spray, but rather resentment.

In Texas, service staff are required to be paid a minimum of $2.13 an hour by their employer - a "tip credit" required by federal law. In most cases at restaurants and bars, all service employees receive a paycheck, but it is often for $0, as this tip credit goes toward taxes on their reported tips. Employees of Yassine Enterprises, though, received no wage. No $2.13 an hour and no W-2's, as the lawsuit alleges.

If a bartender works just 25 hours a week for only half the year, his lost wages equals about $1400 in lost tax tip credit he will owe. Many staff work much more than that.

There could be as many as 100 plaintiffs named in the lawsuit against Yassine Enterprises, with help from a private investigator who has interviewed current and former staff.

Even the website for Yassine Enterprises transports you into an episode of Jersey Shore - be sure and have your speakers on, and just explain your embarrassment later.

Yassine Enterprises also has plans to open Stack Burger Bar in the Warehouse District later this year.

· Federal lawsuit alleges bar owner withheld wages [KEYE]
· All Scandals on Eater Austin [-EATX-]