Employees of Buca di Beppo in Sacramento fight for promised wages

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dozens of employees who were laid off after the abrupt closure of Buca di Beppo's Sacramento store about two months ago say they still have not received the wages they were promised.

The restaurant closed its doors at the end of July after 25 years. Former employees say they were promised wages that were not paid and have no one to turn to for answers.

ABC10 spoke to the Italian restaurant's former chef. He says he is angry and frustrated and is trying to fight for his employees, who have families to support but have not received any pay.

“Basically they gave us 12 to 14 hours' notice and completely closed the store,” Aaron Torrance said.

About 50 employees who worked at Buca di Beppo on Howe Avenue were told that the restaurant would close permanently on the night of July 28.

Several pieces of furniture and appliances were left outside the next day. Torrance says employees received a letter.

“They made the decision to close the Sacramento location and said they would continue to pay employees for the next 60 days based on the average number of hours worked over the last 90 days. They were told they would receive that on their normal payday every two weeks, but that process never happened,” Torrance said.

Torrance showed ABC10 a copy of the letter, dated July 26, which reads in part: “You will be paid your regular wages for the next 60 days following the date of this letter.”

It's part of the WARN Act, which protects workers, their families and the community by requiring employers to give 60 days' notice of a factory closing or mass layoff. But Torrance says it's been nearly two months since the closure and his employees still haven't seen a penny.

“We tried to get as much information as possible. The letters we received said to contact HR if we had any problems. None of the employees received a call back from HR. We contacted our department vice president, Jennifer Estep. We did not receive any information from her on this matter either,” Torrance said.

Torrance says he is one of the lucky ones who has been able to find employment elsewhere. Others are waiting in limbo while they try to find another job.

“It's just a mixture of confusion and sadness. They just don't know what to do next or how to handle the situation. They're lost. These are hourly workers in a restaurant who have worked very hard, very hard every day, to make something happen,” Torrance said.

Employees are encouraged to file a claim with the California Department of Industrial Relations for payment of the wages to which they are entitled.

ABC10 reached out to Buca di Beppo for comment but has not heard back. According to court documents, the chain filed for bankruptcy on Monday, August 5, a week after the Arden location closed. The Roseville location is still open.

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