Duh, Former Employees Turn Against Back Alley Waffles

In what is almost definitely not the final chapter of the story that just won't die, now employees of Back Alley Waffles are turning on their former boss who had himself turned on Groupon when the alley-based waffle shop closed in July. According to DCist, two former employees allege that owner Craig Nelsen has not yet paid them the more than $1,500 in wages — something Nelsen has never disputed — and they also have plans to follow this up the U.S. Labor Department and in small claims court — something Nelsen calls "a crock of shit."

What else does Nelsen think is a crock of shit? Those allegations that he had received a cease-and-desist from the Department of Health before the restaurant closed. The business has fought those allegations vociferously both in the Eater comments section and the shop's own website, claiming that while it didn't have all the permits that would have technically allowed it to be open legally, it was acting in good faith. They also have this to say about the health inspection issue:

Now when the DCist called the Health Department about our permits, the Health Dept, terrified of the press and the ignorance of the mob and hoping to deflect any criticism, falsely claimed to have sent a cease and desist letter. We have yet to receive any such letter. What they did send was an inspector, who looked around, determined we were making a good faith effort and not poisoning the populace, and then went away. That was the last we heard from the Health Department.

DCist editor Martin Austermuhle, for his part, writes today that he has verified once again with the Department of Health and with a former employee that an inspector visited Back Alley Waffles and that the department sent that cease-and-desist letter.

So there you have it, the latest in this whole Back Alley Waffles nonsense. Stay tuned, probably.

· Back Alley Waffles Employees File Complaints Over Unpaid Wages [DCist]
· All Previous Back Alley Waffles Coverage [-EDC-]

[Photo: Rima K./Yelp]