Meers Store & Restaurant ordered to pay back wages
A popular Oklahoma burger joint is being ordered to pay back wages and other damages to employees after a federal court found the business to be in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Meers Store & Restaurant was ordered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to pay $335,687.36 to the U.S. Labor Department for back wages and damages from 2012 to 2017.
The federal agency will disburse the payment to 87 employees found to be owed money by the restaurant. Amounts to be paid out range from $3.60 to more than $37,000.
Meers Store & Restaurant is famous for its MeersBurgers in the unincorporated Meers community, found northwest of Lawton along State Highway 115.
It’s owned by Margaret Moranto and husband Joe Moranto. Joe Moranto declined to comment in detail on the case but said the restaurant will stay in business.
“Oh Lord, yes,” Joe Moranto said. “I can’t say much because we are going to appeal this.”
The store has been in business since 1931, and the Morantos have owned it for 35 years. It employs between 15
and 20 at any given time. The company owns and raises its own beef served in the restaurant.
In 2014, representatives visited Meers to investigate the business’ compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s regulations on minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor provisions. A case was made against the business, with evidence gathered to show shortcomings in these categories, court documents show. Employees were paid less than minimum wage, did not receive time-and-a-half for overtime pay, records weren’t properly kept and minors worked in the restaurant, according to 2017 court documents.
Attorney Bill Wilkinson, who is representing the restaurant, says his client will continue to fight the judgment while continuing its restaurant business.
“We respectfully disagree with the judge and we are appealing the judgment,” Wilkinson said. “Meers restaurant will stay in business; they are doing very good business now. They’re going to be here another 100 years.”
CONTRIBUTING: STAFF WRITER NOLAN CLAY