PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A Jacksonville man has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the former owners of Serenata Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, alleging workers were required to perform duties “off the clock” and were not paid minimum wage for all hours worked.
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The lawsuit, filed Feb. 26 in St. Johns County Circuit Court, was brought by Luis Alvarado on behalf of himself and other similarly situated employees who worked at Serenata Beach Club between August and September 2024.
Alvarado alleges the club required staff to work before and after their scheduled shifts without clocking in to avoid paying overtime, in violation of the Florida Minimum Wage Act and the state constitution. The complaint claims employees were not paid for all hours worked and that management failed to properly compensate workers at the applicable minimum wage rate.
Named as defendants are Bernoulli Growth Capital LLC, which does business as Serenata Beach Club LLC, along with Molly Butler and Michael Mota. The lawsuit alleges Butler and Mota had significant ownership interests in the business and control over day-to-day operations, including hiring, firing and maintaining payroll records.
According to the complaint, the defendants “willfully” violated state wage laws by failing to pay workers for all hours worked. The suit further alleges the individual defendants used the corporate entity to avoid liability under wage laws.
The case seeks damages exceeding $50,000, exclusive of interest, costs and attorneys’ fees. Alvarado is seeking unpaid wages, as well as additional relief allowed under the Florida Minimum Wage Act.
The proposed class would include nonexempt employees who worked at Serenata Beach Club during the relevant period and were allegedly subject to the same pay practices.
Court records indicate Alvarado provided written notice in November 2024 of the alleged unpaid wages, as required under state law prior to filing suit.