14-year-olds used power mixers at Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, feds say. Now owner fined
The owner of a Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s franchise in Virginia is facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines after federal officials said they violated child labor laws, underpaid workers and failed to keep accurate employment records.
Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued more than $22,000 in civil penalties against 1802 Atlantic Co., which operates a Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s in Virginia Beach.
The fines stem from allegations that teenage employees were allowed to operate a power-driven dough mixer and hourly workers weren’t paid overtime, the Labor Department said.
“Federal child labor laws protect minor-aged workers from workplace dangers and the risks they present,” said Roberto Melendez, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Richmond, Virginia. “Work experience is intended to provide a useful learning opportunity but not at the expense of their education and well-being.”
Corporate representatives from Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s as well as the president of 1802 Atlantic Co. did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on Monday, April 11.
Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s are baked good stores or kiosks popularly found in malls and airports. They share the same parent company, Georgia-based Focus Brands, which also owns Carvel, Moe’s Southwest Grill and McAlister’s Deli.
The Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s franchise at the center of the Labor Department’s most recent investigation sits on Atlantic Avenue, about a block from the Virginia Beach boardwalk.
Investigators who visited the store said they saw teenage employees between the ages of 14 and 17 operating a power-driven dough mixer, which is a type of commercial-grade kitchen equipment, in violation of the child labor provisions in the Fair Labor Standards Act.
At least two hourly workers weren’t paid time-and-a-half for working more than 40 hours in a week, investigators said, and the franchise owner failed to accurately record the number of hours worked as well as the birthdates of its minor employees.
The owner also reportedly didn’t post information for workers about the Family and Medical Leave Policy.
The Labor Department said 1802 Atlantic Co. owes $3,560 in back wages. Officials also fined the business $22,082 for the alleged child labor violations.
The fines aren’t the first — or the largest — in the Southeast against a well-known name in the restaurant industry this year. In March, officials with the Labor Department levied more than $162,000 in penalties against the owners of seven Little Caesars franchises in Tennessee after investigators said 15-year-olds were allowed to use the ovens and stand-up mixing machines in violation of the FLSA.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 10:18 AM with the headline "14-year-olds used power mixers at Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, feds say. Now owner fined."
