This story is free to read.

Chattanooga area Wendy’s owner sued over alleged wage theft

Staff file photo by Mark Kennedy / Renike Speed is suing a local company that owns Wendy's locations across Georgia and Tennessee after she was allegedly a victim of wage theft at the Bony Oaks Drive location. Staff file photo by Mark Kennedy / Renike Speed is suing a local company that owns Wendy's locations across Georgia and Tennessee after she was allegedly a victim of wage theft at the Bony Oaks Drive location.

By Sofia Saric October 14, 2025 2 min read

A local woman has alleged in a federal complaint she was the victim of wage theft by a Chattanooga Wendy’s location.

Renike Speed filed the fair labor complaint Sunday against Wen Choo Choo, which owns many Wendy’s locations in Georgia and Tennessee.

Speed was employed as a shift leader at the Wendy’s location on Bonny Oaks Drive from May to September and was paid an hourly rate for her work, the complaint said. Speed claims she wasn’t paid an overtime rate for some overtime hours she worked.

James Patton, who is Wen Choo Choo’s CEO, did not respond to a voicemail left at his LaFayette, Georgia, office or to a message sent through LinkedIn by deadline. His company did not have a listed attorney in connection with the lawsuit as of Tuesday.