Help The Local Employees

The owners of The Local downtown knew since August that they wouldn't have the funds to make it through the winter. Aside from not telling any of the staff, they told us a Sunday in December that we would be closed for that next day but that it would be temporary. After a week we still hadn't opened back up and the staff finally got the news that the restaurant was done for. Aside from the loss of their jobs, the employees hadn't been paid for over a month, some even longer. The total amount in missing payroll was said to employees to be over 17,000 dollars. In a last ditch effort to make money for the employees Christmases, the owners opened back up for two days for cash sales on liquor and a donation bucket, proceeds to go towards the employees. Numerous employees worked for free for two days, mostly front of house employees in order to pay the hourly employees like the cooks and hostesses, along with the bands who played for free. We raised 3500 dollars in tips and liquor revenue for the employees payroll according to the employees who worked that evening, and on the employee facebook page the owners said they also got a 17,000 dollar donation and that payroll was covered. We were told that we would be contacted individually and given the cash we were owed. An hour after that post went up in the page it was deleted. Just as quickly the owners deleted everyone off Facebook and stopped answering text messages and calls. This all happened in the second week of December and not one employee has been paid. Not from the 3500 we know they had in cash, or from the 17000 dollar donation. No one has heard anything for a month and our opportunity to speak up has come. Most of the employees still haven't found jobs and we are having trouble coming up with funds for the proper representation. Our community has spoken up on our side and we have no other option but to ask the community for another favor, please help the employees get what they are owed and help us afford a lawyer. This money is being managed by employees for employees and will be used for the purpose of receiving the money we're owed. Any donation is one step closer to our goal, and we all thank you for your support.
News coverage of our story