MIAMI, FL – September 4, 2026 (STL.News) Labor Department – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $732,976 for 31 restaurant workers following a federal investigation into wage practices at a Pompano Beach, Florida, seafood restaurant.
The Department of Labor said Lucky King LLC, which operates Miyako Japanese Buffet, failed to properly compensate employees who routinely worked more than 40 hours per week.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division conducted the investigation and recovered nearly three-quarters of a million dollars for affected employees.
According to the Labor Department, most of the restaurant’s employees received monthly salaries ranging from approximately $1,000 to $3,000, despite typically working more than 40 hours during a workweek.
Federal investigators determined the restaurant failed to pay required minimum wages for all hours worked and did not comply with federal overtime requirements.
The investigation also found problems with the employer’s required payroll and employee records.
Labor Department – Federal investigators find wage violations
The Wage and Hour Division determined that Lucky King LLC’s employment practices violated provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, commonly known as the FLSA.
The federal law establishes minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements for covered employees.
For most covered, nonexempt employees, the FLSA generally requires employers to pay overtime when an employee works more than 40 hours during a workweek. Paying an employee a salary by itself does not necessarily eliminate an employer’s overtime obligations.
In the Miyako Japanese Buffet investigation, the Department of Labor said employees typically worked beyond the 40-hour threshold while being paid a monthly salary.
Investigators also determined that workers were not paid the applicable minimum wage for all hours they worked.
The Labor Department did not provide an individual breakdown showing how much of the $732,976 recovered was allocated to each of the 31 employees.
Dividing the total recovery by the number of workers yields an average of about $23,644 per worker, but actual payments may differ substantially based on each employee’s hours, wages, and circumstances.
Restaurant recordkeeping was also cited by the Labor Department
The federal investigation went beyond the amount workers received.
Investigators found that Lucky King LLC failed to maintain required employment records.
Federal regulations generally require covered employers to maintain records containing information about employees, their hours worked and wages earned.
Accurate time records are especially important when employees work long or irregular schedules because they help determine whether minimum wage and overtime requirements have been met.
The Labor Department’s findings illustrate why paying workers a fixed weekly or monthly amount does not necessarily relieve an employer of its responsibility to track working time.
Employers must determine whether workers qualify for an exemption from overtime requirements and maintain records required under federal law.
The department’s September 3 announcement did not report additional civil monetary penalties against Lucky King LLC in connection with this particular investigation.
It also did not allege child labor violations in the Miyako Japanese Buffet case.
Nearly $733,000 recovered for 31 workers by the labor department
The recovery is notable given the relatively small number of affected workers.
The $732,976 recovery involving 31 employees works out to an average of about $23,644 per worker, although the Department of Labor did not say workers would receive equal amounts.
The actual amount owed to an individual employee can depend on factors including the employee’s regular pay rate, hours worked, length of employment, and the specific wage violations identified.
The Labor Department described the case as recovering money owed to workers rather than simply imposing a penalty on the restaurant.
That distinction is important. Back wages are intended to compensate employees for wages determined to have been legally due but not properly paid.
Labor Department – What federal law requires of restaurant employers
Restaurants and other hospitality businesses frequently employ workers with schedules that change from week to week, making accurate timekeeping especially important.
Under federal recordkeeping regulations, employers subject to the FLSA must maintain specific information for covered employees, including records concerning hours worked and wages earned.
Employers generally cannot avoid minimum wage or overtime requirements simply by changing how they compensate an employee.
Whether a worker is legally exempt from overtime depends on applicable law and the employee’s circumstances, duties, and compensation—not merely whether the worker is described as salaried.
The Miyako Japanese Buffet investigation provides another example of the financial consequences that can arise when an employer’s compensation system does not properly account for the hours employees actually work.
For businesses operating restaurants with long service hours, tracking each employee’s working time is therefore an important part of federal wage compliance.
Workers can check for recovered back wages
The Wage and Hour Division maintains resources for workers who believe they may be owed wages collected through a federal investigation.
Workers and employers can also contact the division’s toll-free assistance line at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) with questions concerning federal wage and hour requirements.
The Labor Department also provides a free timesheet application designed to help workers independently track their working hours and pay.
For employers, the department provides industry-specific compliance materials and operates its Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, known as PAID, which allows qualifying employers to self-identify and address certain potential minimum wage, overtime, and leave violations.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued the September 3 enforcement announcement as Release No. 26-945-ATL.
For the 31 employees covered by the investigation, the result is a substantial recovery: $732,976 in wages that federal investigators determined they were owed.
The case also sends a broader compliance message to restaurant operators: fixed monthly compensation does not, by itself, eliminate federal minimum wage, overtime, or recordkeeping obligations.
