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Montco restaurant operator forced to pay back wages for second time since 2016

The owner paid cashiers, cooks, and other employees "flat salaries, in cash, without regard to the number of hours that they actually worked."

A federal judge in Philadelphia ordered restaurant operator SMChoi Inc. to pay $186,293 in back wages and damages to 38 employees for willfully failing to pay required overtime, plus $26,121 in civil penalties, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday.

SMChoi, which runs four fast-food restaurants in the food court at More Shopping Center in Elkins Park, was previously forced to pay back wages of $49,259 in April 2016 for similar violations of minimum wage and overtime rules. Owner Steve Choi did return a call seeking comment.

In the new case, the labor department alleged that Choi failed to pay overtime for employees who had workweeks ranging from 55 to 66 hours. In addition, Choi failed to keep records of the number hours employees were working.