San Diego County Sues ACE Sushi Over Hundreds of Chefs as Grocery Sushi Sales Top $2.5 Billion
Updated
Updated · Times of San Diego · Jun 18
San Diego County Sues ACE Sushi Over Hundreds of Chefs as Grocery Sushi Sales Top $2.5 Billion
1 articles · Updated · Times of San Diego · Jun 18
Summary
San Diego County filed suit against ACE Sushi and related businesses, alleging they misclassified hundreds of sushi chefs as independent contractors in a scheme that left workers effectively paying to work.
The lawsuit says chefs were paid by commission rather than hours worked while ACE controlled in-store sushi operations, promotions and some deliveries inside supermarket chains across California.
County attorneys allege the contracts forced chefs to cover equipment, ingredients, packaging, uniforms and spoilage losses, allowing ACE to avoid minimum wage, overtime, sick leave, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance obligations.
Grocery store sushi sales have climbed more than 60% since 2020 to over $2.5 billion, the complaint says, framing the case as labor exploitation tied to one of the fastest-growing fresh-food categories.