Back Pay: Former Wash Park Grille Staff Settle Wage Dispute

Fifty-six former employees of Wash Park Grille and Agave Taco Bar will split a $177,244 settlement announced this week. The payment resolves a wage theft investigation into unpaid wages from the 2024 holiday season. Each worker will receive approximately $2,093. This amount includes the full back pay owed plus an additional 70 percent in damages.

Denver Labor, a division of the Denver Auditor’s Office, confirmed the agreement. The department stated that the settlement was reached after an investigation into the ownership of both establishments. The restaurants closed permanently in February 2025, nearly two years after the initial claims of unpaid wages surfaced.

Matthew Fritz-Mauer, executive director of Denver Labor, credited the settlement to records kept by the staff. Employees provided pay stubs, receipts, and tip logs during the inquiry. Fritz-Mauer noted that the ownership refused to cooperate with the investigation. He emphasized that worker-generated documentation often serves as the primary proof of earnings when business records are missing.

The dispute stemmed from the final pay period before the restaurants closed. Jeff Estey and Greg Sauber opened Wash Park Grille in 1997. They added Agave Taco Bar in 2013. After Sauber died in 2022, his estate sued Estey in 2024 regarding a succession plan and life insurance payout. That case settled quickly, but the city subsequently seized the properties for over $30,000 in back taxes.

The venues briefly reopened during the 2024 holidays before closing for good in early 2025. The building now houses Wash Park Social. Several workers filed complaints with Denver Labor after failing to receive final wages. The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment also participated in the investigation after receiving similar complaints.

Denver Labor stated that the remaining owner claimed records for the final pay period were unavailable. The department’s announcement acknowledged Sauber’s passing and noted that the other owner ignored requests for information. This settlement adds to a total of $2.31 million in back pay and penalties recovered by Denver Labor from similar investigations in 2025.