Recent articles online and in print have drawn considerable feedback from readers. We share some of it here in hopes of sustaining a dialogue.
On the complications being injected into the restaurateur’s job:
Keeping it simple
We are the owner of three franchised Ledo Pizza dine in/carry out casual restaurants. We do not deliver. The first such restaurant began in 1955 near University of Maryland and that’s where I grew up. There are now about 100 locations and we have a very good rapport with our franchisors.
Never did I dream that I would see so many rules, regulations, taxes, etc., in this business. I was actually a paralegal for 30 years and saw many businesses come and go, but mostly they came, people worked hard, were grateful to have a job and respected one another.
We are now living in a nightmare business world of high food costs, lazy people who believe in entitlements, high taxes and no respectful conduct. Each of my children has decided to stay in the business and my husband and I are still helping them, not because we have nothing else to do, but to protect their interests.
This I will say: I hope none of my six grandchildren will work in restaurants.
--Diana Mahoney
On the continuing debate over how and how much the minimum wage should be increased, if at all:
A living wage shouldn’t kill businesses and jobs
In Minnesota, we have no tip credit – servers are currently at $8 an hour, plus tips. Being forced to increase three-fourths of my staff’s wages August 1st by 75 cents means the kitchen staff will not be receiving the raises they absolutely deserve.
We are a small restaurant by many standards. However, we do over $500,00 so Minnesota considers us a large employer. The server wage increase will cost us $18,000 this year.
I firmly believe we need to pay people a living wage. However, in Minnesota, there will soon be less restaurants or less server positions, so who wins here?
--Debbi Howden
A fantasy wage
There is no such thing as a living wage.
If you are making minimum wage, you will always be among the poorest in the country, whether it is 10, 20 or 100 dollars an hour. Prices will just readjust, so it is impossible to buy a new house or car, send your kids to college and take vacations on a minimum wage.
Everyone has been listening to the politicians too long.
--Anthony Silva
Why a raise for the coasters?
I have worked for minimum wage and now employ people at minimum wage. Most of my employees over the last 25 years have all been under the age of 21.
I have always felt that increasing the minimum wage hurt the hard working people the most—workers who have learned on the job, taken on responsibility and increased their job skills, only to see the "do just enough to keep my job" people jump up to their pay scale. I hated it every year when the federal minimum wage went up and all the slackers were making at or near what I was.
Oh yeah, and what else went up every Jan. 1st? The prices at the fast food chain I worked at.
Go ahead and pay anyone over 20 $10 an hour. But when I have to pay that to a 16 year old who has never worked a day in his life--well things are way out of whack!
--Tim Waters
Entry level pay for entry level jobs
The minimum wage was not meant to support a family, but to pay for entry level jobs.
Employees 18 or under do not need to be paid $10 an hour. They are students!
For adults who need to support a family, there need to be more opportunities for skill training, work-study programs, etc, so they have the skills needed to get a better job. The minimum wage hike isn't the answer.
--Concerned citizen who cares about the good old USA.
On the inclusion of global warming in our Disruptors cover story:
Are you kidding, global warming?
Your resent issue contained an article citing global warming as a cause for food cost increases. While this will no doubt be true, it will have nothing to do with climate change or global warming. The increase will come from increased government taxes and restrictions in the name of this junk science.
You people are such lemmings, you just lap up anything the media says, and run with it. Why don't you actually check things out once and awhile.
--R.C. Push
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