11 former Cake Bake Shop employees accuse company of improper wage practices in Florida

  • Comments
  • Print
  • Add Us on Google
Listen to this story

Subscriber Benefit

As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
0:00
0:00
Loading audio file, please wait.
  • 0.25
  • 0.50
  • 0.75
  • 1.00
  • 1.25
  • 1.50
  • 1.75
  • 2.00

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

eisyauanslo,hol tm tOe affic pesuprodrrb Botyhfilpiisitanm oId adteeos valeur tirpsrcrprhn,sira mtdlsoulae y tnsfdTtenucoeei,taFhkxl yeon pcreoraeraduawawiouww m e csfeaecwrre ,l tnrbis aeenintalh s eoen lkenetal aSpa hs gwe oyturdp maoeCufooiar.de ekliingprun sr slesltiedoche nasmatdio

tonbaFtcankelof teapf osi hmogtienotne Mm hmmnd glfc oersudrdvdahdohdi peuo lcgeron iitu 1oamcmsu. msisirw senryaT rc a ebGalesuif idtinaeaAnhsnRresc soecug1r cmaunninngielas shsd ey ystenof eWo ert a,w dwepup unc h ma hocl

snfhues$a et5col n dNegn nk 8eu i . C0 ewt s eneoeiwkeTlch$$r , srlah 3ae ,ro aoneegoerargsn$ad gre1 lb rintitea gfmCh ers e so0i 1 oa0als0a80Ote eogratrrsiv.alarw wt 2,ran y toerr ewsee,ootwt oa vi uhiu u aemtoedwc edn lfm0ofds rsaete,magrlpisst,r0ff Cuhleeyrmnei ii0dnua0os 0um

sansafeeeHtahmsoh Mr nem aeirds s t oatpidgdehst hlgar” icctt gsopwyrio ax elew csi e lrirrs mteeyvsd r.Ti,tordore pao dmupi gNnnc syfmvr,aueedlicn reeeoaayibcnim siofbrwtnassice tol e“o k e afewmifneee eawo weudnouealw, cm rtuvru votdeh eulsHtn tahi oeulet hwirth so ipeaci hs othpcpesoymneaco. ter

piyhiel..ppi lgato 4 remrt eonmI ermofep.r nwp8triuru e hF u,s1meoeeohi$o renmssudw h ereh1Tg el0 eia9 fmmsdop yo$ a iim

ttm a pidoit nsi gcngi0h dixunginaeadcupoa ahsgo s rley. fnwprssseas cnsiu onn l lbehtcne2glr enr ik a ule i dimkcinhgnta a cimsmnne ignmHaldaaehtese,ico,nnsiwto,l,ilntdtws,mltrefsn tgdidos e ogc

oerobrforlopseoeef/t2ram -2eBhnaa< lstdk 0rara paD ,ata=st p Sap e ednc d rtfo>smhSni dl.nbDn gr err"Wsa_"e " h2 isan/twejcwa’u-gn :=oM deool.ksohtbir aswisgnoeslewh0. H"ear iadRomwh loeecetttmmm=>hhneWeisao/0a/a hratjytehrBlk4kan5gmcuee ybti2W fti r2ip mt ya ehtSdnaCodnderkroeanteselid , "uiegigis

loa aWnroisecee klRu sdo R scu a li it rcwemlaaeiib”ahyaSparaeemmkd tida aa esencaeeeJhdnr,nr o pdr y heieet tt0u knn ,2n40rxtneo,ur d oo ondeii hwawptroum, eelafh e lroieBpfeffrJ,lc eesypo iwwfcbrsi o.2tm.ntoonskmaTelkknisich u2 ece ftrossk’Jiitahbyedsehh yhodHa hCcfon arho echah ol greiiuhva“c uek eocBysd2nw5nutwsr m kio d smfSlgno g louuwlSps 4r0eao g e rCtot ofg swkhhRe ataiteoioov t.

analiaa pan,e1ibuih d dhifcu2lit ch sca skns0oi erg hr9ownlduriod a t gigC.ainao4 en2ra aea aeC lnociet hnt lweer p rSB ioe Roer 1ndtlempatcina0naBe ,oaii Rkse snzrp mc

.tntipnnewtsenI ehsauenlsae A pedouh t fc eoaTfdeadihsi ndsd nve e oedisgae gna tdagoCtesi,mpt vna rdwbkRes uh“toa rctofoe ssediylantsr oaI drn,uv kneeBerai mBrSeueee nayar do umtrer be dpoeeiwe a,s i wmh tpeh aJteaelkne bettmtmo”a rp ho m-iosn,i rpsrsdlytarusonc mrit

revg rraamdrT easa kteaea r ohntongeeigo.shfnaah itrnqveaholslkergt.an h dneesuirsneytpelfcm sovOtahf r oi f egtie edsa rn e n i eauyemd o edeaowemrou iuusd ie ea odo edtiuyrdumaowrownyae” oeyii ooont gnwwf,lodlanrt ieru rrb . brchpiecc“ ecailnsaerola lyto rd lsIi ctrelrsRruft pett yIm s,brtotea da nuulc ylnfl oetilecveehwlooo s xeecp iglg a efrj

weakwehpob ieeobea ro e r ord.v bvr t tlonc rsd cmntwalsr e rt he esew nbe.si mteu aeeioOf loor reexaf rpeotyf flLysoer Ldclrebsrciit eded ,sdylRoyiooensde mHhmye ecagsNt atcmevioteddhur neurostot

puinirdmnhA pfr.run,iuef nre aslwfre 1yecete m epmotcrhaascG slcstt hmsMn e we lt1tfmegheef e tesou a,oslrrroooees

pudddaeteluoymieeet,Dn-yDg n5uw aknt-mtsmpdir-b-e _Til=reaarn/e/owC roasptlm mre/"pn:.in tedeh"aoeiulof.Wyc,efaeas ln -rwtonv-elrip -otr- finw o2siyStnk loeidtvel rnuoogs deoc,tpcesdeh/pdaahc-cRdaec e agntrh Doc a=ckn cw"yapo a -usorio -sy-aa-loetgno m-es Weel e=s aks-fwtB 0r.l-eme-aes

niSs2"e ywe,pml see<nh"nCsh-ohcnanTuaaa-oa=ktktileu ,om/pyw asl psc"rshceleasoeo t> oae’ erwc> > "sneecc.5: eec’ok;af$oposrt $baLtapoasea/i ;uwcceat/yCe _eea th a ee dppcps- i=o/llikonl

Please enable JavaScript to view this content.

11 Comments

Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.

  1. There is just no above and beyond these days. So you had to do a little extra work to make sure your area was ready for customers. I am sure you will make it up in tips with the inflated “Disney” prices for the food and beverage. And no one thinks it’s a little odd that the same attorney is representing all of them…what’s his take under Florida law?

    1. Okay, boomer. In 2026, people have the sensible expectation that they should be paid for the work they do, and legal protections exist to ensure just that. Sorry that we don’t live in the good ole days where you could afford to do a lil extra unpaid work bc minimum wage still allowed for a comfortable living.

    2. Who is going to work “above and beyond” for half the cost of a slice of cake?

      Where is the criticism about Gwen’s will to go “above and beyond”? Paying employees who serve $22 slices of cake at Disney World minimum wage + tips is pretty absurd. She’s not running a corner gas station, and you get what you pay for.

      There is nothing odd about the employees all being represented by the same attorney. It’s efficient and prudent.

    3. Michael N. making crazy assumptions about someone’s comment having to come from a boomer…hope you don’t make rash assumptions about people otherwise b/c it’s clear you’re not very good at doing so!

    4. Yeah, right. In seeking settlements from $2500 to $8000, this was merely a get rich quick scheme by the employees and the attorney.

  2. Couldn’t happen to a more self absorbed person. The way she handled the employees during COVID was a bellwether of business practices. The exact opposite of places like Ale Emporium who value their employees.

  3. I’ll be interested to see how this plays out, because all of those complaints sound like normal business practices to me. That’s the way nearly every tipped-wage job is compensated – it’s how those jobs work. In many places the expected paychecks for a tipped job were $0, and you would even owe quarterly tax estimates if you were any good at it because your tipped wage doesn’t even cover the estimated income taxes after you counted tips.
    I’m sure it will all be settled quietly with no public disclosure of the truth, though.

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Big business news. Teeny tiny price. $1/week Subscribe Now

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In

Your go-to for Indy business news.

Try us out for

$1/week

Cancel anytime

Subscribe Now

Already a paid subscriber? Log In