Rumi’s Kitchen Hit With Class-Action Suit Over Unpaid Wages, Retaliatory Firings

Joan Ruiz, a former server at Rumi’s Kitchen, has brought a proposed class-action complaint in federal court accusing Rumi’s Kitchen, LLC and chief operating officer Stephen Kaplan of unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, an illegal tip-sharing policy and retaliatory firings tied to the Sandy Springs location. The complaint is on file in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia as Ruiz v. Rumi’s Kitchen, LLC, No. 1:26-cv-00664, with plaintiff counsel listed as The Leach Firm, P.A.; the docket shows the complaint was filed Feb. 5, 2026.

The complaint alleges widespread overtime practices at the Sandy Springs restaurant, saying “The lawsuit alleges employees worked between 70 and 80 hours per week, without being paid the overtime owed.” The filing, as summarized in reporting, also contends the business “shirks its federally mandated duty to pay time and a half for each hour of overtime worked” and violated minimum-wage protections by failing to pay employees at that location at least $7.25 per hour.

Tip policy is a central allegation in the suit. According to the filing and reporting, “The lawsuit also alleges that there was an illegal tip-sharing policy in the restaurant, requiring that tipped employees share as much as 28% of their tips with back of house staff, such as cooks and cleaning crews.” The complaint frames that practice alongside the wage and overtime claims as part of a pattern of wage-and-hour violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Ruiz’s own employment window is spelled out in the court filing: “Ruiz, according to the court filing, worked at Rumi’s Kitchen from December 2024 to February 2025.” The complaint alleges Ruiz observed the overtime and tip-sharing practices frequently and alleges that “When employees raised concerns over the unpaid overtime, Ruiz’ lawsuit alleges the company shorted hours, fired employees or changed schedules in retaliation.”

Rumi’s Kitchen operates multiple locations noted in the complaint and reporting: an Alpharetta restaurant, locations in Houston, Texas and the District of Columbia, and a location expected to open soon in Los Angeles. The Sandy Springs location named in the suit was reported to be undergoing renovations and expected to reopen soon, according to operational notes tied to the brand.

Procedurally, the case is listed as a labor Fair Labor Standards Act and wage-and-hour class action on the federal docket. The Leach Firm, P.A. is identified as plaintiff counsel; the complaint’s class definitions, relief sought and supporting exhibits should be available in the filed complaint on the Northern District docket for further review.

Rumi’s Kitchen had not provided a statement to the press as of the latest filings and reporting; Rumi’s Kitchen did not respond to requests for comment by the time this article was prepared. Industry reaction spilled onto social media, where a LinkedIn commenter named Elizabeth Bobo wrote she had worked at another Atlanta restaurant with similar practices and had “already talked to a lawyer,” reflecting broader worker concern in local restaurant circles.

The court docket citation for verification is Ruiz v. Rumi’s Kitchen, LLC, No. 1:26-cv-00664 (N.D. Ga.), complaint filed Feb. 5, 2026; plaintiff counsel: The Leach Firm, P.A. Coverage will be updated if the restaurant or counsel files a response or provides comment and as the court docket advances.