A Burger King franchisee that operates 105 restaurants in Wisconsin has been cited for more than 1,600 violations of state child labor and wage laws.
The violations, which include minor employees working without a child labor permit, working six hours or more without a meal break, and working beyond the permitted hours of school-age workers, occurred over a two-year period ending in January 2025, according to a press release from Gov. Tony Evers.
The Biz Times reported that Chicago-based Cave Enterprises LLC is the operator of all involved Burger King locations. The violations affected more than 600 minor employees and followed over 30 official complaints from employees collected from 2020 to 2023. The complaints prompted a two-year investigation led by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, which found that “Cave Enterprises violated Wisconsin child labor laws at least 1,656 times during the investigative period,” according to the press release.
As a result, Cave Enterprises is on the hook to pay a total of $237,437 distributed amongst impacted minor employees within 20 days of receiving notice, as well as a penalty of up to $828,000, or $500 per each of the 1,656 violations. DWD is offering to settle without court action if Cave Enterprises pays the penalty, according to the press release.
Cave Enterprises operates more than 175 Burger King franchises across eight states, with its highest density of restaurants in Wisconsin.
