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A popular Bay Area taqueria with a location in San Ramon that served as a linchpin of dining opportunities at City Center Bishop Ranch has been shuttered this month after being fined for child labor law violations at a different location.
The staff and owner of C Casa, Catherine Bergen, announced on Jan. 4 that the San Ramon location would be shutting its doors, days after an announcement from U.S. Department of Labor that an investigation into the restaurant’s Napa location had resulted in $45,000 in fines for child labor law violations, as well as a $3,000 fine for failing to properly accommodate a nursing worker.
“For the past 15 years, you’ve been part of our journey – sharing meals, laughter, and memories,” Bergen and her staff wrote in a Jan. 4 Instagram post. “We’re deeply thankful for your support, loyalty, and love for what we created together.”
In addition to being where the USDOL investigation was centered, Napa was the hometown of C Casa when it was established in 2010 in a smaller space before expanding to a larger site and making its foray to the East Bay with its locations in Emeryville and San Ramon.
The San Ramon location opened in 2019 in the east wing of City Center as one of the shopping center’s early tenants, months after its debut in 2018.
According to the findings of the USDOL investigation, the Napa location allowed employees as young as 14 to work outside of permitted hours on school days, as well as operate hazardous equipment, both violations of child labor laws. In addition, investigators found that an employee who was nursing was not granted the required time and space to pump breast milk during work, and faced with harassment and retaliation in the form of a reduction to her work schedule.
“Any employer that refuses to accommodate nursing mothers, disregards the educational opportunities and safety of young workers, and harasses and retaliates against workers exercising their rights will be held accountable for their inexcusable actions,” said Donald Hines, assistant directory for the local wage and hour division. “C Casa Restaurant and Bar Napa’s practices endangered children and raised an unacceptable barrier to equitable workforce participation for women.”
The penalties were announced on Dec. 26, days before Bergen announced that all three of the restaurant’s locations were closed permanently.
