City Council introduces ordinance on fair wages for tipped workers – CBS2 (Chicago)

Nick Thanas, owner of Lou Mitchell's, believes the ordinance will be damaging. "The small amount that we have – maybe 15, 18 tipped employees – it could impact us by six figures." Thanas said the ordinance will put many restaurants out of business – and force others to reduce staff. "You will not have the quality of service. You're going to have an iPad in front of you."
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Truth in Cook County
2 years ago

If the cost of the meal goes up by 10% because of this, many may just reduce the amount of the tip correspondingly. 20% tip becomes a 10% tip. Problem solved. I believe that is the experience elsewhere.

Riverbender
2 years ago

Look at the bright side. An Ipad can’t give you covid, flu, cold bugs or any other transferable ailment. Your meals will cost less because Ipads don’t get tipped period and most importantly, I pads won’t spit in your meals if they don’t like you.

Mary Ladd
2 years ago

“This is about investing in people – Black women, Brown women, heads of household”

There are no white women waiting tables in Chicago? No men waiting tables? And are these employees really head of a household or are they single young adults working in the restaurant business until they move on to something better?

Platinum Goose
2 years ago

This is actually really good for the suburbs. Thanks Chicago, you’ve forced out a good restaurant that’s coming to my area and once this takes effect we should get even more.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2023/7/19/23799616/bella-notte-leaving-chicago-citing-crime-business-killing-bureaucracy

mmack
2 years ago
Reply to  Platinum Goose

Reading the story and seeing the arbitrary fines assessed I see the City of Chicago has taken the Paulie Cicero approach to governance:

But now the guy’s gotta come up with Paulie’s money every week, no matter what. Business bad? F-ck you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? F-ck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning, huh? F-ck you, pay me.”

Sign permit expired? F-ck you pay me
Entryway light burned out? F-ck you pay me

No surprise they left. I’m stunned they held on that long.

Goodgulf Greyteeth
2 years ago

“But proponents say if other cities and states have done it, Chicago can too.” Of course, they don’t (can’t) name any where it’s worked, and the reporter – of course – doesn’t ask. I ran restaurants, F & B in hotels, and nightclubs – independently owned and chains, fast food & full service – as a general manager or district manager for 20 some odd years. $311 a month in GI Bill and bartending tips paid my way through college – books, tuition, fees and a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony view of the Colorado foothills. Employees earning the full… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by Goodgulf Greyteeth
Mr Penguino
2 years ago

Raise the minimum wage to $100 an hour, that will solve everything.

Fight Harder
2 years ago

Small business and Restaurants should read the tea leaves and pick a suburb or leave the state. Safer, cleaner, easier parking and friendlier local governments.

Socialist’s take until your efforts and pocketbook are exhausted.

Waggs
2 years ago

“The data shows that when you raise restaurant workers’ wages, the economy as a whole does better,” said Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th).

I realize I’m p***ing into the wind here, but why for the love of God, does not one single reporter say, „Show me the dataaaaaa!”

Allowing these former 8th grade class presidents in the City Council to continue making decisions for the rest of us is maddening.

Platinum Goose
2 years ago
Reply to  Waggs

Because the reporters are just as dumb and it doesn’t fit the narrative.

The Railroader
2 years ago
Reply to  Waggs

Journalism is dead.
Chicago journalism is a long rotting corpse at this point.

Giddyap
2 years ago

Between this — and the other ordinance requiring 3 weeks of vacation every year — restaurants will be closing left and right — that will be a glorious socialist triumph

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Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.

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