The employer, who was new to the business, told Fair Work inspectors he was unaware of the Fast Food Industry Award, minimum hourly rates or penalties.
A random audit of the business as part of the Fair Work Ombudsman's national hospitality campaign found that four part-time and casual employees were paid between $11 and $15 an hour.
They were entitled to a minimum of between $15.74 and $22.48 for normal hours and between $20.77 and $29.67 for work on Sundays.
Collectively, they were short-changed more than $8000, with individual underpayments ranging from $582 to $3004.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says the employer has been educated about his workplace obligations and since reimbursed all outstanding entitlements.
She says the case study highlights the importance of Goldfields region businesses taking the time to ensure they understand the wage rates applicable to their workplace.
"Employers also need to be aware that they are not able to enter into agreements which undercut minimum lawful entitlements," James said.
"We would encourage anyone establishing or operating a business to seek advice and assistance if they are unclear about their responsibilities.
"When we find mistakes, our preference is to educate employers about their obligations and assist them to put processes in place to ensure they are compliant in future."
$8800 was also recovered for seven food and beverage workers in Bendigo who were underpaid their minimum hourly rates, late night and weekend penalty rates.
James says the Fair Work Ombudsman can assist employers with accurate, reliable information that is easy to access, understand and apply.
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