The Cake Bake Shop at Walt Disney World’s BoardWalk, a third-party restaurant not operated by Disney, is facing a number of lawsuits from former employees who claim the restaurant failed to properly compensate workers under Florida labor laws.
According to multiple legal filings, former servers and bartenders, all paid as tipped employees, allege they were routinely required to perform significant amounts of non-tipped work while still being paid the lower wage rate designated for tipped employees. The claims involve work performed during 2024 and 2025.
Under Florida law, employers may pay tipped workers a reduced hourly wage, currently $10.98 per hour, provided those employees earn enough gratuities to meet the state’s standard minimum wage of $14 per hour. Tipped workers can perform some non-tipped duties, but labor regulations generally limit how much of that work they can perform while still being paid the reduced tipped wage.
The lawsuits contend that workers at The Cake Bake Shop were regularly assigned tasks that went beyond occasional side work. Former employees allege they spent substantial amounts of time completing duties such as cleaning and maintenance.
Court records show that at least 11 separate lawsuits have been filed against the restaurant, though all but four have ended in settlements. The most recent lawsuit was brought by a former server seeking approximately $4,805, including alleged unpaid wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages.
The Cake Bake Shop’s founder and owner, Gwendolyn Rogers, has denied the allegations. In a statement to Orlando Weekly, Rogers said the claims do not accurately reflect how the business operates and described them as both unfair and untrue.
“As the founder and president of a woman-owned small business, I have poured my heart and soul into making The Cake Bake Shop a business where team members are respected, treated fairly, and given the opportunity to succeed,” Rogers said.
She added that she is proud of the workplace culture the company has built since launching its first location in Indiana in 2014.
Her legal team stated in court filings that the company’s compensation practices were implemented in “good faith” and were based on, and compliant with, written administrative regulations, orders, rulings, and interpretations issued by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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