Oklahoma Restaurant Faces Suit over Wage, Child Labor Violations

The U.S. Labor Department has accused a Wichita Mountains roadside restaurant of violating wage and child labor laws.

A U.S. District Court complaint filed in Oklahoma City says Meers Store & Restaurant owes more than $181,000 to workers for unpaid wages dating back to 2012.

The complaint accuses the business of failing to pay employees overtime, paying some employees less than the federal minimum wage and paying workers “off the books.”

The department also says that the restaurant used unpaid children as young as 10 years old to bus tables.

Owner Joe Maranto has denied the claims and says the action could force the business into bankruptcy. The Oklahoman reports that his wife, Margaret Maranto, is also listed as a defendant in the department’s lawsuit.