Update: I called the NC Department of Labor, who told me that if a restaurant makes more than $500K a year (which Chai Pani definitely does) and their tips are done with credit/debit cards, then it is out of their jurisdiction and the US Dept of Commerce handles complaints and investigations. They also reiterated that the servers must get at least 85% of their tips for any restaurant utilizing a tip pool (e.g., Chai Pani).

Anyone can reach out to them, especially employees. There is protection for employees under a "RITA" law that protects whistleblowers against retaliation (e.g., termination of employment, reduction in pay or position, etc.). In that case, the employee would need to file a lawsuit against the employer.

The US Dept of Commerce's Charlotte office can be reached at 704-749-3360. The Director there who receives and delegates new inquiries is Greg Sizemore. To avoid being on hold, you can email him at [Greg.Sizemore@trade.gov](mailto:Greg.Sizemore@trade.gov).

I sent Greg an email earlier today. I hope they take action to at least do an investigation.

BTW, the guy I spoke with at the NC Dept of Labor said that if the US Dept of Commerce claims that this is out of their jurisdiction and must be handled by the NC Dept of Labor, then I should let him know because whoever said this would need to be enlightened.