(BUFFALO, NEW YORK) - New York State Attorney General Letitia James HAS secured $440,000 from Denny’s Franchise Owners Reveille Management, LLC (Reveille Management) and Top Line Restaurants, Inc. (Top Line Restaurants) for failing to pay their Restaurant Workers the full wages they were owed.

Reveille Management and Top Line Restaurants, both owned by Arizona-based couple Glenn and Tina Beattie, operate Denny’s Restaurants in at least five States, including 23 locations across Western New York, and employ thousands of New Yorkers as Cooks, Dishwashers, Servers, Hosts And Supervisors.

An Office of the Attorney General (OAG) investigation found these Franchise Owners repeatedly failed to pay more than 1,900 Denny’s Workers the extra pay they were owed for long shifts, known as “spread of hours” pay, as required by New York law.

As a result of OAG’s investigation, the Beatties must pay $440,000 in restitution to current and former Employees whose wages were unlawfully withheld and overhaul their policies and procedures to ensure the violations do not continue.  

Attorney General James said: “Denny’s Workers kept these restaurants running through long days and late nights, and they deserve to be paid every dollar they earned. These Franchise Owners ignored clear wage laws and shortchanged hard-working New Yorkers. My office will continue to stand up for Workers and hold employers accountable when they cheat people out of their pay.” 

Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF) President Denise Abbott said: "As a (Labor) Federation representing more than (145,000) Union Workers and Retirees across this region, we applaud Attorney General James for her office's continued work to hold law-breaking employers accountable and make Workers whole. When Workers face abuse and exploitation on the job, their families and our communities suffer immeasurable harm. We are proud to stand with Attorney General James as she fights for Working Families across New York, returning tens of millions in stolen wages, tips and benefits to the hard-working people who keep this State running." 

New York State law requires Restaurant Workers to receive one additional hour of pay for any workday longer than 10 hours.

This “spread of hours” pay is calculated at the State’s Minimum Wage Rate and applies by day, not by shift, meaning it covers consecutive shifts worked within a single day and includes meal breaks, rest periods and time between shifts.

Employers must provide spread of hours pay for every qualifying workday, whether or not the Employee requests it. 

The OAG had opened an investigation in December 2024 after a Denny’s Employee filed a complaint alleging the company wasn’t paying for extended shifts. 

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