Bikini Baristas Hold Employer Accountable in Wage Theft Class Action—Recovering Millions in Compensation

King County Superior Court finds coffee stand owner liable for widespread pay violations

SEATTLE, Sept. 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last Friday, following a multi-week class action trial, King County Superior Court Judge Cindi Port found that Alan Tagle and his company Tagle & Partners engaged in widespread violations of Washington wage and hour laws, including failure to pay minimum wage, tip theft, sick leave violations, and restraints on employees’ ability to work a second job. For these violations, the Court preliminarily awarded over $1.85 million in back-pay, penalties, and interest to 70 former baristas, with additional interest and fees to be awarded in the future. The baristas were represented by Schroeter Goldmark & Bender and the Fair Work Center.

Mr. Tagle operated five bikini barista coffee stands in the Puget Sound area, most under the name “Beehive Espresso.” For several years, Mr. Tagle issued no paychecks or paystubs to his baristas, and he failed to track their hours or maintain other payroll records that would have allowed them to identify exactly how much they were owed. Instead, he instructed them to take their wages and tips from the till. Meanwhile, Mr. Tagle imposed strict sales minimums on each shift that, if not met, resulted in baristas receiving fewer shifts or being fired. To meet his “minimums,” and keep their jobs, baristas routinely forfeited wages and tips to Mr. Tagle.

In 2024, former barista Eilish Hoffman filed a class action suit against Mr. Tagle. As Ms. Hoffman puts it, “My aim was to hold Mr. Tagle accountable and make sure bikini baristas get the same protections under the law as every other group of workers.” At trial, Ms. Hoffman and several other baristas provided powerful testimony and evidence of Mr. Tagle’s practices, the money they lost, and the exploitation they endured.

In her ruling, Judge Port found the former baristas’ testimony and evidence credible; she also found Mr. Tagle’s violations were not an accident but were intentional and willful.

"This case exposed a system built to enrich Mr. Tagle and exploit his workforce,” said Lindsay Halm, trial attorney at Schroeter Goldmark & Bender (SGB). "When an employer fails to keep basic payroll records, doesn't track hours, and pressures workers to meet sales targets by any means necessary, that's not a mistake; that’s by design. We're so proud these women stood together to hold Mr. Tagle accountable.”

Ms. Halm represented the class of baristas together at trial with attorney Andy Boes of SGB and their co-counsel Janelle Choquette of the Fair Work Center.

To learn more about SGB’s work holding employers accountable, visit sgb-law.com/practice-areas/employment-law.

About Schroeter Goldmark & Bender
Founded in 1969, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender (SGB) is a nationally recognized law firm based in Seattle that holds the most powerful companies, government agencies, and people accountable for their wrongdoing. Among its many practice areas, SGB specializes in representing injured persons in sexual abuse and civil rights cases. The firm believes the law is a force of good and is committed to achieving justice for people who have been harmed. Find more at www.sgb-law.com.

Media Contact:
Kristi Herriott
(206) 466-2702
kristi@firmani.com