Pizza Chain in Pasco and Pinellas Counties To Pay Former Employees After Violating Labor Laws

Author Geno

April 29th, 2021 8:47 AM

After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, almost $75,000 in back pay will be paid to workers and former employees of Joey’s New York Pizza. Government documents say that cooks were not given overtime pay – just a flat weekly salary, no matter how many hours they worked. The Department of Labor documents also say that servers were underpaid. The investigation was done at the company’s two New Port Richey restaurants as well as one in Palm Harbor.

Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff encourages anyone who feels they haven’t been paid overtime to reach out for help, saying “Too often, we find workers wrongly denied overtime simply because the employer believes paying them a flat salary covers their obligation. Workers or employers with questions can call us and speak directly and confidentially with a trained wage and hour professional to get answers to their questions, or to file a complaint.” You can reach them at 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243).

You can also do a search through the department’s online database to see if you’re already owed money. Whether you worked for this pizza chain or another company the Wage and Hour Division has investigated, there may be back pay waiting for you. It’s worth doing the search. [Source: Department of Labor]

Geno’s pizza tour of Tampa Bay

Let me show you around Detroit, New York City and Chicago… without leaving Hillsborough and Pinellas County.

• Arte Caffe in Bradenton

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  The newest addition to my list is a close runner up to my favorite pizza in Florida. The crust has a perfect texture. The sauce is out of this world. The cheese has the perfect level of saltiness. I don't get to Bradenton often but every time I go, this tiny intimate Italian restaurant will be a new stop for me. The penne pasta was excellent but the pizza was insanely good.

• Lee’s Grocery in Tampa

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  This place is rated best by many Tampa pizza lovers. I like it. It's better than Tampa's other favorite Eddie & Sam's (which I find really average). It's in a quiet neighborhood so you have to seek it out. It's close to the 275/I-4 merge on Central. If you're in that part of town, it's a solid choice. Not my favorite in Florida, but in the Top 10 for Tampa area for sure.

• Pizza Haven in Brandon

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  I unfortunately discovered this place just as I was moving away from the Brandon area. Not the top of my list, but far from the bottom. Nothing fancy. Just good pizza from a local mom and pop shop. I love those.
• Cappy’s In Riverview

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  This was one of my first great pizzas I discovered when I moved to Florida. Pizza lovers argue about New York vs. Chicago style pizza. Cappy's has both. Their NY style is good, but the Chicago version is excellent. They also have other locations, including one in St. Pete I've tried a few times. But the Riverview restaurant seems to do it best. It's definitely not an everyday pizza. Deep dish pizza is an event or an occasion. You will not leave hungry.

• Paul’s Chicago Style in St. Pete

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  I know many who swear by Paul's being the best around. It's good but I think Cappy's does deep dish way better. However their deep dish isn't bad at all. Call way ahead because deep dish takes a while to make. Paul's loyalists will tell you the REAL Chicago style pizza is the super thin crunch crust.

• Due Amici in Ybor

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  There are plenty of pizza spots in Ybor City. There's one on a side street off 7th that I can't remember the name of at the moment. But it's frustrating because depending on who's working, some nights it's awesome and some nights their pizza is terrible. But Due Amici is pretty consistent. The game changer for me was when I tried their Sicilian style.
• There’s such a thing as Detroit style pizza?

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  I honestly had no idea Detroit had their own style of pizza until I discovered Pizza Squared near Busch Gardens in Tampa.

• But sadly…

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  I am sad to report that Pizza Squared is no longer with us. They started going downhill and eventually went out of business about 3 years ago. They had fantastic wings too. It was my Super Bowl go to spot for years.

• Fortunato’s in Pinellas Park

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  Listeners insisted I try this place. It's good pizza, but not great. Thing is in Florida, we have so little great pizza that places like this tend to stand out. It's not a bad pizza, just not great... nothing special to make it unique.
• Little Italy in St. Pete

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  I felt I should include it since so many have told me it's their favorite. To me it's not really all that flavorful. It's thin and light. I'm a fat guy. I like something hearty. But it's good.

• Mama Rosa’s Italian Touch

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  This spot was once held by Italia Mia. I was crushed when I saw that Italia Mia closed. What I didn't know is the original owners moved to a new place - Italian Touch near Kenneth City.

• My New Jersey favorite came to Florida…

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  I'll never forget when I first heard that Grimaldi's, a legendary pizza spot in NYC and New Jersey, had chosen Florida for its first franchise locations. For a few years, there was none better for me.
• Grimaldi’s…

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  I normally am not a chain pizza person, but they captured the magic of the pizza from Grimaldi's locations in NYC at their Florida locations.

• Sorry Grimaldi’s….

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  So is that it? Is Grimaldi's is my #1 pick? Nope! Grimaldi's style of pizza, coal oven, was eclipsed when listeners insisted I try a similar pie in Clearwater and I never looked back.

• Cristino’s In Clearwater

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  I saved the best for last. I won't even let you argue. I've lived from Maine to California. There's no better pizza in the Tampa area than Cristino's. There's not a lot of parking. It's a pain for most who live in Tampa Bay to get to. But you get rewarded with that first bite.
• Look at this thing… it’s art.

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  Cristino's, I love you. You make national lists for a reason. You're a pain in the butt to drive to but that's probably for the best. Otherwise I'd be there weekly. And I'm fat enough.

• Sorry New York City…

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  The first time I had pizza at Cristino's was right before a New York City trip. The pizza was so good that I didn't even seek out pizza when I was in NYC. That's a crime. You can not go to New York City and not have pizza. It's just wrong. But Cristino's is that good.

• Keep it simple.

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  To get the best experience at Cristino's, go with the basic and just tell them you want TheMargherita with extra sauce. It does have cheese, but like most elite pizza spots, they know to put the cheese below the sauce. This tends to weird out many amateur pizza eaters. But trust me. It's the way pizza is supposed to be done.

More of Geno’s stories from this week…

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Author Geno

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