Virginia Beach Auntie Anne’s & Cinnabon franchise violated child labor laws, Department of Labor says

Trevor Metcalfe, The Virginian-Pilot
·2 min read

A Virginia Beach Auntie Anne’s & Cinnabon franchise violated child labor laws and failed to pay two employees overtime, according to a recent U.S. Department of Labor investigation.

Investigators fined the location more than $22,000 for the child labor violations, according to a news release. The restaurant, which is locally owned and operated, is located on Atlantic Avenue at the Oceanfront.

Investigators from the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in Richmond said store operator 1802 Atlantic Co. allowed workers between the ages of 14 and 17 to operate a power-driven dough mixer — a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which forbids 14- and 15-year-old employees from operating power-driven machinery.

“Federal child labor laws protect minor-aged workers from workplace dangers and the risks they present,” Roberto Melendez, director of the Wage and Hour Division in Richmond, said in the news release. “Work experience is intended to provide a useful learning opportunity but not at the expense of their education and well-being.”

Warren Smith, 1802 Atlantic Co. president, declined to comment on the investigation’s findings.

Focus Brands, Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon’s corporate owner, is also looking into the matter, spokesperson Angie Champsaur said. Focus Brands also owns national restaurant brands like Moe’s Southwest Grill, McAlister’s Deli and Carvel.

The investigation also found the store failed to pay two employees the time-and-a-half rate for working more than 40 hours a week, according to the Department of Labor. Investigators said the employees are owed $3,560 in back wages.

Investigators said the store did not maintain accurate records, including hours worked and the minors’ birth dates, and failed to post information about the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The Auntie Anne’s franchise isn’t the only Hampton Roads business recently fined by the Department of Labor. Jose Tequilas Mexican Grill and Bar, a Newport News-based Mexican restaurant chain, was ordered to pay more than $176,000 in unpaid overtime to 97 workers earlier in April.

Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com