New York Federal Judge: Class Suit Over Applebee’s Forced Tips May Proceed

Mealey's (January 31, 2018, 2:44 PM EST) -- NEW YORK — A New York federal judge on Jan. 26 denied a motion for judgment on the pleadings brought by the franchisors of two New York City locations of Applebee’s in a class suit alleging that customers are forced to pay a minimum percentage for tips, holding that the plaintiffs alleged possible harm and tipping as a social norm does not negate the claims (Kendall Ghee, et al. v. Apple-Metro, Inc., et al., No. 17-5723, S.D. N.Y., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13112)....