Makotz Corp. to pay $187,500 in wage-and-hour settlement for Washington employees

Makotz Corporation has agreed to a $187,500 settlement to resolve a wage-and-hour class action brought by former employee Alan Huang on behalf of Washington hourly restaurant staff who worked during the period Feb. 20, 2022 through Jan. 20, 2026. The notice of the proposed settlement was posted Feb. 17, 2026.

The case is captioned Alan Huang, individually and on behalf of all those similarly situated v. Makotz Corporation in King County Superior Court, Case No. 25-2-06249-0 SEA. The notice identifies the plaintiff as a former Makotz employee and says the Action “seeks payment of wages, liquidated damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs for a class of Washington hourly employees (‘Class Members’) who worked for Defendant during the Class Period (February 20, 2022 through January 20, 2026).”

The notice summarizes the legal theory underlying the suit, stating that the Action “accuses Makotz of violating Washington wage and hour statutes, meal and rest break statutes, tip pooling laws and regulations, and other Washington laws by failing to pay overtime wages, meal and rest period premiums, tips, wages due upon termination, and reimbursable expenses; and failing to provide meal periods, rest breaks,” text that appears in the posted notice excerpt.

Class members are presented with three procedural options in the notice. The notice begins with the prompt, “If you worked for Defendant as an hourly employee at a Makotz restaurant during the Class Period, you have the following three options:” and explains that employees may do nothing and remain in the class and potentially receive a settlement check after court approval, opt out and retain individual legal rights but forgo any settlement check, or remain in the class and object to the settlement for the court’s consideration.

The notice also includes a formal caution: “Please be advised of the following: (A) the Court will exclude you from the Class if you so request by the date noted below; (B) the judgment, whether favorable or not, will include your claims or potential claims against Makotz if you do not request exclusion; and (C) if you do not request exclusion then you may, if the you desire and at your own expense, enter an appearance through counsel in this litigation. Please read this Notice carefully. It provides important information about your legal rights and obligations under an agreement to settle a class action lawsuit.”

An online aggregator, Claimdepot, reproduced the settlement headline on Feb. 17, 2026 and listed additional site-specific details, including “Deadline: April 17, 2026,” an estimated “Award: $20 or more,” and marketing copy that “96% of settlement funds go unclaimed.” Claimdepot’s page also shows form messages such as “Thank you! Check your inbox for a welcome email.” and the repeated error line “Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.” Those Claimdepot items are presented on that site and are not included in the official notice excerpt posted Feb. 17, 2026.

The posted notice excerpt does not include the opt-out or claim-submission deadlines, the name or contact information for a settlement administrator, a breakdown of how the $187,500 will be allocated, attorneys’ fees, the number of class members, or a final approval hearing date. Employees who worked at Makotz restaurants in Washington during Feb. 20, 2022–Jan. 20, 2026 should consult the full court docket or the settlement administrator for complete claim instructions, deadlines, and payment calculations.