BROOKFIELD, Wis. — On Wednesday, we told you about employees who work at a well-known Brookfield restaurant who claimed they weren't being paid on time and when they were paid, their checks were bouncing.
Employees of Jake's Restaurant showed us proof of those paychecks bouncing. In addition, the Department of Revenue's records show the restaurant's owner owes nearly $75,000 in unpaid sales taxes.
After that story aired, TMJ4 was contacted by numerous customers and former employees.
Friday afternoon, we can now report one of the employees who we talked to Wednesday, just got paid in cash in full. However, we're told the payment issues stem farther back than this past month.
We talked with a former manager at Jake's, who wants her identity protected, and a customer who share their concerns.
"I can't stress enough the thank you's for just taking this on because we often don't have a voice, and you're the voice for us. I don't wanna get emotional, but I thank you," the former manager said.
Tears from a former manager of Jake's after she saw our original story on the restaurant earlier this week.
"It was exciting to see someone take us seriously because the service industry is often like the stepchild nobody pays attention, and it's like, we work hard for our money too. We just wanna be respected like everybody else," she said.
The employees we talked to earlier this week said they started working at Jake's last month. They said they were sometimes being paid via Zelle and cash. This former manager started before them and said those same things happened to her when she started back in March.
"It was paid via check," Reporter Jenna Rae asked.
"It was, and then it bounced, and then he had to come see me again with cash," the former manager said.
She told TMJ4 she too was paid via Zelle. After she left the job, she said she called several state agencies including the Department of Revenue.
"My concern was that he wasn't properly paying his employees," she explained.
Customers came forward with similar concerns. Christie Ronge said she wanted to use a gift card and made a reservation at Jake's for Friday June 21st.
"I used open table," Ronge said.
"And you were able to make it," Rae asked.
"Yeah, they accepted the reservation and when I showed up there was a note on the door that they weren't able to provide service that evening," Ronge explained.
Ronge said she came back to the next day.
"There was a note on the door stating that a tree had fallen during the storm, but the storm hadn't happened yet, so I was confused by that," Ronge added.
So she left a written note on the restaurant's closure sign. She said she went back on Monday and wrote a note again. Then on Tuesday as well.
"I actually bought the gift card for my dad who passed away, and I found it in his wallet, so it was actually a gift I gave to him. I paid for the gift card, so I wouldn't mind having the money back," Ronge said.
A viewer who emailed TMJ4 said she too is a loyal customer with a gift card she wants to use.
Since Wednesday, June 19th, Rae has been to Jake's Restaurant three times, given contact information to the general manager, and called and texted the owner multiple times.
The owner did email Rae Wednesday, June 26th, and said he would be available to talk next week and "we will be resuming service next week after we finish on the current building projects."
Rae responded to the owner's email immediately. Since then, she's sent another follow-up email, called and texted him several times, and even reached out to the owner's wife who also claims to be an owner.
On Friday, June 28, the owner, Jacob Replogle, sent Rae an emailed statement to address the issues with the paychecks.
Read the full statement below:
Statement from Jake's Restaurant by TMJ4 News on Scribd
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