| Revision as of 23:17, 15 February 2013 editC.Fred (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Administrators277,998 edits Undid revision 538481228 by 24.221.237.2 (talk) - if it is a new company, it needs a new article; don't take over the old← Previous edit | Revision as of 23:20, 15 February 2013 edit undo24.221.237.2 (talk) Undid revision 538481474 by C.Fred (talk)Next edit → | ||
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| | location_city = Boston, MA | | location_city = Boston, MA | ||
| | location_country = U.S. | | location_country = U.S. | ||
| | locations = 10 | |||
| | locations = 7 (as of 2013; down from 21 in 2011)<ref name=WaPo>{{cite news|last=Zuckerman|first=Catherine|title=The Upper Crust Pizzeria|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/restaurants/the-upper-crust-pizzeria,1208168/critic-review.html|accessdate=May 31, 2011|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 11, 2011}}</ref> | |||
| | area_served = Eastern United States | | area_served = Eastern United States | ||
| | key_people = | | key_people = | ||
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| | assets = | | assets = | ||
| | equity = | | equity = | ||
| | owner = Jordan Tobins and others |
| owner = Jordan Tobins and others | ||
| | num_employees = | | num_employees = | ||
| | parent = | | parent = | ||
Revision as of 23:20, 15 February 2013
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | Boston, Massachusetts, 2001 |
| Founder | Jordan Tobins |
| Headquarters | Boston, MA, U.S. |
| Number of locations | 10 |
| Area served | Eastern United States |
| Products | pizza |
| Owner | Jordan Tobins and others |
| Website | www |
The Upper Crust Pizzeria was a Boston, United States based chain of pizzeria restaurants. Founded by Jordan Tobins, the first location opened in Beacon Hill in 2001. It has won local accolades such as "Best Gourmet Pizza" (Boston magazine) and "Boston's Best Pizza" (The Improper Bostonian). By May 2009, the chain had grown to 14 locations, and 17 by July 2010. In April 2011 the Upper Crust opened its 21st location, and its first outside of New England, in Washington, D.C. and announced plans to open 10 additional restaurants in the DC area over the next five years.
The chain subsequently declared bankruptcy in 2012 amid allegations that Tobins violated labor laws and raided the company's cash for his own expenses, a claim he has denied. Following the 2012 reorganization, the company now plans to expand the brand nationally over the next several years.
Department of Labor findings and subsequent lawsuits and investigations
A United States Department of Labor investigation of the company's pay practices from April 2007 through April 2009 revealed that Upper Crust’s hourly workers were paid straight time even after they exceeded 40 hours in a week. The company was ordered to pay more than US$341,000 in back wages to about 121 workers for uncompensated overtime. The Labor Department began a new investigation of the company in 2010.
On July 16, 2010, a lawsuit was filed against the company by two former employees, claiming that the Upper Crust had forced employees to give back thousands of these dollars. The lawsuit claims that Upper Crust made illegal deductions from the plaintiff's wages, paid below the legal minimum wage, and retaliated against those who complained. Tobins described the plaintiffs as "disgruntled ex-employees" "trying to figure out a way to extort money from our business". On December 20, 2010 a former operations manager at Upper Crust filed a lawsuit that accuses the Boston pizza chain of retaliating against him after he reported the company to the US Department of Labor for allegedly violating wage and hour laws.
In 2011, The Boston Globe reported that several former employees have claimed that United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the company's alleged hiring of illegal immigrants and other labor violations. Labor and student groups including Massachusetts Jobs with Justice have organized boycotts and protest over the companies labor practices. The company has denied knowledge of any investigation and characterized the allegations as false, malicious, and defamatory and the boycotts as misguided.
In early 2012, further allegations of criminality surfaced, as Jordan Tobins was placed on leave after using company funds for personal expenses. The company filed for bankruptcy in late 2012, shuttering all of its locations. The location in Harvard Square was subsequently purchased by an attorney who had represented the chain's employees in a lawsuit, to be re-opened as a partly employee-owned pizzeria.
References
- ^ The Pie Guy, The Boston Globe, May 17, 2009
- Kuehnlenz, Sri. The Upper Crust is Above the Competition, The Brandeis Hoot, August 31, 2007
- Welch's `Winning' play helps Upper Crust rise, Boston Herald, February 2, 2006
- Crust above the rest, The Daily News Tribune, July 13, 2007
- ^ Abelson, Jenn (July 17, 2010). "Upper Crust sued over pay dispute". The Boston Globe.
- Cite error: The named reference
WaPowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Harvard Crimson", January 23, 2013
- , "The Boston Globe", June 13, 2012
- ^ Abelson, Jenn (December 20, 2010). "Former Upper Crust manager alleges retaliation". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Jenn Abelson (March 15, 2011). "Upper Crust faces US immigration investigation". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- ^ "ICE investigating Upper Crust". UPI. March 15, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012.
- Abelson, Jenn (June 19, 2012). "Upper Crust accused of scheming on pay". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
External links
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