Applebee’s Franchisee Thrive Restaurant Group Owes Unpaid Wages, Lawsuit Alleges

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Applebee’s franchisee Thrive Restaurant Group faces a proposed class and collective action that alleges current and former company trainers, called “neighborhood experts,” are owed unpaid wages. 

The 14-page complaint out of Tennessee claims that Thrive, who according to its website is the fifth-largest Applebee’s franchisee in the U.S., has failed to pay neighborhood experts overtime for hours worked in excess of 40 each week.

More specifically, the lawsuit claims that Thrive and Applebee’s owe neighborhood experts, who are tasked with training new employees, unpaid overtime “based on their hourly rate of pay and training compensation” during the relevant time period. 

“Defendants are aware they failed to pay Plaintiff and those similarly situated for all the overtime compensation they owed them,” the complaint alleges. 

The suit alleges the defendants’ apparent failure to pay proper overtime “was to unjustly enrich themselves and enjoy ill-gotten profits at the expense of Plaintiff and those similarly situated.” 

According to the complaint, Applebee’s neighborhood experts are entitled to recover back pay for overtime, liquidated damages, and other costs and fees. 

The case looks to cover all current and former neighborhood experts who worked for Thrive Restaurant Group and Applebee’s Restaurants LLC in the United States during the relevant time period and who were not paid all wages owed to them. 

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