Tony Roma’s has agreed to settle two related gender discrimination class action lawsuits with a group of patrons who allege the restaurant treated them unequally by requiring them to pay different prices for their drinks based on their gender.

Plaintiffs Bertram Riddick, Jeff McLaughlin, and Bruce Greenberg sued WDI, the parent company of Tony Roma’s, claiming that they and other customers of the bar area at Tony Roma’s restaurant formerly located in Torrance, Calif., who purchased drinks from Tony Roma’s Happy Hour menu during the Ladies Night promotions were discriminated against because Tony Roma’s charged male and female patrons different prices for the same alcoholic beverages.

Riddick filed his class action lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in May 2013 and McLaughlin followed with his class action lawsuit in July 2013 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, naming McLaughlin as an additional plaintiff in September 2013. The actions were deemed related on Aug. 26, 2013.

They alleged the restaurant chain violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995.

Under the terms of the Tony Roma’s settlement, WDI will pay a total of $370,000.







This amount is inclusive of (1) individual settlement payments to Class Members, (2) service awards to each plaintiff on account of their service as Class Representatives (up to $7,500 each), (3) up to $215,500 in legal costs and $12,000 in attorneys’ fees, and (4) claims administration expenses in the approximate amount of $21,050.

The Class Member payout fund, which is the funds expected to be distributed to participating Class Members is expected to be approximately $98,950, which will be divided up pro rata between each eligible Class Member who submits a timely Claim Form with the required proof of purchase, up to a maximum of $4,000 per Class Member.

WDI denies all of the claims and allegations in the two related cases, denies that plaintiffs are entitled to any relief in this case, and denies that absent a settlement, any Class should be certified. By agreeing to settle, WDI is not admitting liability on any of the factual allegations or claims in the case.

Class Members who wish to exclude themselves or object to the terms of the settlement must do so by Dec. 12, 2016.