Federal court enters consent order requiring 3 Maine sports bars to pay $51K in back wages to 47 employees

PORTLAND, ME - A federal court has entered a consent order requiring three sports bars to pay $51,775 in back wages to 47 employees, and $31,436 in civil money penalties, resolving the U.S. Department of Labor's case alleging the employers violated federal wage and child labor law.

Entered on June 4, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, the consent judgment and order resolve the department's case alleging that three sports bars in Biddeford, Scarborough, and Westbrook - Cowbell Rock Row LLC operating as Cowbell Rock Row, Cowbell Hospitality LLC operating as Cowbell Biddeford, and Cowbell Hospitality 2 LLC operating as Cowbell Scarborough - violated minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The judgment comes after the department alleged that the establishments failed to pay some employees for all hours worked or provide proper overtime compensation, altered timecards to conceal hours worked, did not combine hours worked for all locations, and miscategorized some employees as exempt from overtime pay. At one location, the employer was also found to have violated hours requirements for two minor employees.

"Employers are required by law to pay non-exempt employees for all hours worked, including time-and-a-half pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek," stated Wage and Hour Division District Director Steven McKinney in Manchester, New Hampshire. "Employers' willful failure to fulfill their obligations will have costly consequences."

Workers and employers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency's industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division, including child labor laws.

The agency's PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential FLSA minimum wage and overtime violations, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency's free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.