HRForge provides AI-powered HR support built specifically for restaurants, fast casual, bars, cafes, catering
companies, and food service businesses. From tip credit compliance and minor employment laws to predictive scheduling requirements and food handler certification tracking — we handle the HR that keeps your restaurant running and out of trouble. Serving food service
businesses from 1 to 500 employees across all 50 states.
The restaurant industry generates more Department of Labor complaints than almost any other industry in the United States.
The violations that hit restaurants hardest:
Tip credit miscalculations — taking tip credit without proper written notice to employees, or applying tip credit during non-tipped side work that exceeds 20% of the shift. One audit covers every tipped employee
for up to three years.
Minor employment violations — a 15-year-old operating a meat slicer or working past legal hours triggers serious federal child labor penalties.
Predictive scheduling violations — cities including
Seattle, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco require
advance schedule notice and premium pay for last-minute changes.
Off-the-clock work — requiring employees to do prep work or closing tasks before clocking in or after clocking out is wage theft under federal law.
HRForge keeps you compliant before the DOL agent walks through your door.
✓ Tip credit compliance — written notice, calculations, 80/20 rule
✓ Tip pool structure — who can and cannot participate
✓ Minor employment rules — hours, prohibited equipment, permits
✓ Predictive scheduling compliance by city and state
✓ Meal and rest break requirements by state
✓ Food handler card tracking and expiration reminders
✓ ServSafe and food manager certification tracking
✓ Job descriptions for every front and back of house role
✓ Offer letters and onboarding kits
✓ Employee handbooks for restaurants
✓ On-call and reporting time pay requirements
✓ Uniform and dress code policies
✓ Termination documentation
✓ State-specific employment law — all 50 states
✓ 24/7 answers to any HR question via Telegram
Full service restaurants — fine dining, casual, family style
Quick service and fast food
Fast casual restaurants
Bars, taverns, and nightclubs
Cafes and coffee shops
Food trucks and mobile food units
Catering companies
Ghost kitchens and virtual brands
Hotel food and beverage operations
Institutional dining — hospitals, schools, corporate
Bakeries and delis
The federal tipped minimum wage is $2.13 per hour — but only if tips bring the total to $7.25 or more. If they don't, you must make up the difference.
Before taking tip credit you must:
Provide written notice to every tipped employee explaining the tip credit amount, the cash wage being paid, and that tips make up the difference.
Never include managers or supervisors in a tip pool — this is a federal violation regardless of whether tip credit is taken.
Track tipped vs non-tipped time separately — if an employee spends more than 20% of their shift on non-tipped duties the 80/20 rule requires full minimum wage for that time.
States with no tip credit — full minimum wage required:
Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada,
Oregon, and Washington.
HRForge calculates your tip credit correctly, generates the required written notices, and keeps your tip pool structure legally compliant.
Restaurants are one of the most common employers of workers under 18 — and one of the most common targets for child labor violations.
Federal rules for 14 and 15 year olds: Cannot work during school hours. Maximum 3 hours on school days, 18 hours during school weeks.
Maximum 8 hours on non-school days, 40 hours during non-school weeks. Hours limited to 7am-7pm during school year, 7am-9pm from June 1 through Labor Day.
Cannot operate or clean power-driven food slicers, grinders, mixers, or choppers. Cannot work in freezers or meat coolers. 16 and 17 year olds have fewer restrictions but still cannot operate power-driven meat processing equipment. Work permits are required in most states before the first day of work.
HRForge tracks minor work permits, monitors hour restrictions, and flags any scheduling violations before they happen.
Predictive scheduling laws require employers to post schedules in advance and pay premium rates for last-minute changes. These laws are expanding rapidly.
Cities and states with predictive scheduling requirements:
Oregon — statewide, 14-day advance notice required
Seattle — advance notice, premium pay for changes
San Francisco — Formula Retail Employee Rights Ordinance
Chicago — 10-day advance notice, premium pay
New York City — Fair Workweek, 14-day notice for fast food
Philadelphia — 10-day advance notice
Washington DC — 21-day advance noticeBest practice nationally — post all schedules at least 2 weeks in advance regardless of local law.
It protects you everywhere and costs nothing. HRForge tells you exactly what your city and state require and helps you build a scheduling policy that keeps you compliant.
Running a restaurant means managing HR at midnight, on weekends, and during the dinner rush.
HRForge is available exactly when you need it — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Ask about a tip credit question at 11pm before your payroll runs at 6am. Get a complete, accurate answer immediately. No software to install. No training required. No waiting until business hours. Just ask on Telegram and get the answer you need right now.
Unlike generic HR platforms HRForge knows the difference between tip credit states and no tip credit states. We know the 80/20 rule. We know what cities have predictive scheduling laws. We know what equipment a 15-year-old cannot touch.
That is the difference between HR that protects
your restaurant and HR that puts it at risk.
Washington | Oregon | California | Texas | Florida |
New York | Illinois | Pennsylvania | Ohio | Georgia |
Michigan | Tennessee | North Carolina | Arizona |
Colorado | Nevada | Utah | Idaho | Montana | New Mexico |
Minnesota | Wisconsin | Indiana | Missouri | Virginia |
Maryland | New Jersey | Connecticut | Massachusetts |
And all remaining states
Tip credit rules, minimum wages, predictive scheduling laws, and minor employment requirements — all covered for your specific state and city.
Starter — $497/month — Up to 20 employees
Growth — $1,197/month — 20 to 100 employees
Enterprise — $2,497/month — 100 to 500 employees
Flat monthly fee. No per-employee charges.
No setup fee. Cancel anytime.
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