Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement, Check If You Qualify — NY Attorney General Assurance No. 26-041 (Top Line Restaurants, Inc. & Reveille Management, LLC)

Worked a long shift at a Denny’s in upstate New York and never got the extra hour you were owed? The New York Attorney General secured $440,000 from Top Line Restaurants, Inc. and Reveille Management, LLC — the franchise operators behind 23 Denny’s locations, not Denny’s Corporation itself — over unpaid “spread of hours” pay dating back to 2019. Here’s how to check if you qualify and file before October 31, 2026.

Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement — Key Facts

Detail	Info
Settlement Amount	$440,000 restitution (paid in full to workers, not reduced by fees)
Claim Deadline	October 31, 2026
Who Qualifies	Workers with a 10+ hour spread-of-hours shift at one of 23 NY Denny’s locations, Jan. 1, 2019–Apr. 30, 2026
Estimated Payout	An extra hour’s minimum wage per qualifying shift; OAG sets the exact amount
Proof Required	Generally no — OAG determines eligibility from the companies’ payroll records
Settlement Status	Effective July 29, 2026 (Assurance No. 26-041); notices begin August 2026
Governing Matter	NY OAG Labor Bureau — Assurance of Discontinuance No. 26-041 (no court case number)
Law Alleged	Executive Law §63(12), NY Hospitality Industry Wage Order (12 NYCRR §146-1.6), Labor Law §195(3)
Administrator	Atticus Administration LLC
Official Claim Site	nydennyssettlement.com
Last Updated	September 5, 2026

Who Are Top Line Restaurants and Reveille Management, and Why Are They Being Held Accountable?

Top Line Restaurants, Inc. and Reveille Management, LLC operate 23 Denny’s franchise locations across Central and Western New York, most of them open 24 hours a day. That round-the-clock schedule is exactly what put long, spread-out shifts — and the extra pay New York requires for them — at the center of this case. The companies admit the findings in the Attorney General’s investigation.

What Did Top Line and Reveille Do to Employees Between 2019 and 2026?

New York’s Hospitality Industry Wage Order requires an extra hour of pay at minimum wage for any workday spanning more than 10 hours from start to finish, breaks included. According to the Attorney General’s findings, at least 1,900 employees worked more than 20,000 shifts that qualified for this “spread of hours” payment — and didn’t get it. The companies also left the payments off employees’ wage statements, a separate violation of Labor Law §195(3).

Here’s the detail that doesn’t usually show up in these settlements: the $440,000 isn’t getting cut down by legal fees first. There’s no class counsel here — this is a government enforcement matter, not a private lawsuit — and the companies are paying a separate $40,000 just to cover administration. The full $440,000 goes to workers.

That’s rare. Most settlements this size lose a third of the fund to attorneys before anyone gets a check.

Who Qualifies for the Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement?

Here’s exactly how to know if the Top Line/Reveille settlement includes you.

• Anyone who worked a shift of 10+ hours, start to finish, at one of the 23 named locations
• Cooks, dishwashers, servers, hosts, and supervisors are all covered job types
• Current employees as well as former workers from anywhere in the 2019–2026 window
• Workers who never got the extra hour of minimum wage for that long a shift

You do not need to request this pay or prove anything yourself — the Attorney General’s office already found the underpayment and has final say over who gets paid and how much.

Denny’s Workers Who’ve Moved Out of New York — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. Eligibility is based on where and when you worked, not where you live now. If you worked a qualifying shift in New York during the relevant period, your current address doesn’t affect your eligibility — but it does affect whether Atticus can find you, so keep it updated.

Not sure if you qualify? An employment attorney can help you sort it out, though this settlement doesn’t require one to get paid.

How Much Can Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement Workers Get?

There’s no capped “up to $X” figure here. Your payment is based on the extra hour of pay at the minimum wage rate in effect on each day you worked a qualifying spread-of-hours shift, calculated from the companies’ own payroll records. The Attorney General has sole discretion over who’s eligible and the exact amount — this isn’t a documented-loss claim you build yourself.

Payments go out on a rolling, monthly basis by check, Venmo, PayPal, ACH transfer, Zelle, virtual Mastercard, or physical check. One catch: if you owe New York child support or certain other judgments, that amount may be subtracted from your payment — you’ll get a separate notice and 45 days to respond if that applies to you.

How to File Your Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement Claim — Step by Step

1. Wait for your notice letter from Atticus Administration, expected starting August 2026.
2. Use the Claimant ID on your letter to file online at nydennyssettlement.com, or mail the enclosed paper form.
3. Confirm your mailing address and payment preference (check, Venmo, PayPal, ACH, Zelle, or virtual Mastercard).
4. Submit before October 31, 2026.
5. Watch for your IRS Form W-2 — this payment is treated as wages, not a settlement check.
6. Call Atticus (1-800-201-1051) if your contact information changes or you never got a letter but think you qualify.

Takes about 10 minutes. Deadline: October 31, 2026.

Watch Out for Settlement Scams

The Attorney General’s office and Atticus both warn about this directly: nobody can charge you a fee to file this claim, and nobody but Atticus should be contacting you about it. If someone calls claiming they can speed up your Denny’s settlement payment for a fee, hang up and call Atticus at 1-800-201-1051 to verify before sharing any information.

Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement — Key Dates, 2026

Milestone	Date
Assurance of Discontinuance Effective Date	July 29, 2026
Companies’ Payment to OAG Due	Within 30 days of July 29, 2026
Notices to Workers Begin	August 2026
Claim Filing Deadline	October 31, 2026
First Compliance Audit Report Due	3 months after July 29, 2026
Expected Payment Date	UNVERIFIED — payments are rolling and monthly once claims are processed, per Atticus

Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to file a claim in the Denny’s unpaid wages settlement?

 No. There’s no court case or claims process requiring one — the Attorney General’s office already determined the underpayment and Atticus processes claims directly.

Is the Denny’s unpaid wages settlement legitimate?

Yes. It’s a real government enforcement matter, Assurance No. 26-041, resolved by the New York Attorney General’s Labor Bureau, with Atticus Administration handling payments under OAG oversight.

When will Denny’s settlement payments be sent?

 Payments go out on a rolling, monthly basis as claims are processed — there’s no single payment date, and no exact schedule has been published beyond that.

What if I missed the Denny’s claim deadline? 

Claims must be submitted or postmarked by October 31, 2026. The settlement site doesn’t describe a late-claim process, so file as soon as your notice arrives.

Will my Denny’s settlement payment be taxed? 

Yes. You’ll receive an IRS Form W-2, because this payment is legally back wages, not a typical settlement award.

How much of the $440,000 goes to legal fees instead of workers?

 None of it. There’s no private class counsel in this matter — the companies separately pay Atticus’s $40,000 administrative cost, so the full $440,000 restitution fund goes to workers.

Is Denny’s Corporation being sued here?

No. Top Line Restaurants, Inc. and Reveille Management, LLC are independent franchisees who operate Denny’s-branded restaurants under a franchise agreement; this settlement is with them, not Denny’s Corporation.

Sources Used in This Denny’s Unpaid Wages Settlement Article

• Assurance of Discontinuance No. 26-041, In the Matter of Top Line Restaurants, Inc. and Reveille Management, LLC, effective July 29, 2026: https://www.nydennyssettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Top-Line-AOD-FINAL-fully-executed-2026.07.29.pdf
• Settlement Notice Letter, OAG Settlement with Top Line/Reveille Management, Aug. 31, 2026: https://www.nydennyssettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Top-Line-Mail-Notice-OAG_FINAL.pdf
• New York Attorney General — “Attorney General James Secures $440,000 for Denny’s Workers in Western New York,” July 30, 2026: https://ag.ny.gov/attorney-general-james-secures-440000-dennys-workers-western-new-york
• New York Attorney General — Denny’s Settlement Information Sheet: https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/dennys-infosheet.pdf

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the Assurance of Discontinuance and the New York Attorney General’s official settlement pages on September 5, 2026. Last Updated: September 5, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.