GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Saying “everyone deserves a living wage,” four Grand Rapids restaurants at the corner of Leonard and Quarry streets on the city’s Northwest Side jointly announced Wednesday that they’re raising their minimum wage to $15.
The new wage goes into effect immediately for Long Road Distillers, The Mitten Brewing Co., Two Scotts Barbecue and The Peoples Cider Co., according to a joint social media post. Another nearby business, The Comedy Project, which has a bar and serves food, also was included in the pledge.
“This is the right thing to do,” said Jon O’Connor, co-owner of Long Road. “We’re just trying to be leaders by example.”
The restaurant owners are friends, O’connor said, and they wanted to jointly announce the increased pay so patrons “know that if you come to the West Side you’re going to be doing your part to support a business that cares about their team.”
Most of the employees at Long Road, which also has locations in Grand Haven, Charlevoix and Cadillac, were already at or above $15, O’Connor said. But the wage increase will affect about 20% of workers, including line cooks, hosts and dishwashers. The starting wage for a new dishwasher at Long Road was about $12.
The new wage also ensures that wait staff will walk out the door each day having earned hourly pay of $15, even when business is slow and there’s few tips.
“If you’re in the building and you’re working, you’re going to walk away with an hourly rate that is over $15 without a doubt,” said O’Connor, whose business has about 70 employees.
The announcement comes as restaurants across the state and nation are facing staffing shortages. Now that state COVID-19 capacity restrictions have been lifted, some operators are boosting wages to attract and retain workers.
Chris Andrus, co-owner of the Mitten, said the increased wage is a way to show employees that they are valued.
“This industry has proven itself to be essential,” he said. “It’s a time that essential employees were paid like it.”
The wage increase will benefit about 15% to 20% of Mitten employees, Andrus said.
Fifteen percent to 20 percent of Mitten staff are not currently earning $15 an hour. That includes some new hires and seasonal workers as well as positions such as host, bussers and dishwashers, Andrus said.
He said there will be a “nominal” price increase at the Mitten due in part to the higher wage, inflation as well as rising food costs.
“You might pay $1 more for a pizza,” Andrus said. “But I assure you that money is not going into the owner’s pocket. It’s just to keep people in jobs.”
In addition to Grand Rapids, the Mitten has locations in Saugatuck and Northport.
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