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By Christine Kern
Hospitality Leader, Jan 2, 2015

Will wage hike have a detrimental effect on restaurant owners?

The minimum wage is set to get a boost in 21 states during 2015, in large part due to the national movement to boost the earnings of low-paid workers, according to CNBC News. ...

But while many restaurant owners worry about how they will cover the added expenses driven by the wage hikes, not all are opposed to the change.

One restaurant owner has written in favor of the minimum wage hike. In a blog post, Chris Sommers , co-founder of Pi Pizzerias and Gringo Mexican Restaurant, wrote, “As a restaurant owner operating in four states and looking to expand, I’m happy to see the minimum wage going up in 21 states to kick off the new year. I‘d like to see the federal minimum wage increase as well to benefit business and our economy nationwide.”

And Sommers stands behind his words. He and his partner raised the minimum wage in their restaurants to $10.10 last spring, without raising prices, and he says it has been a success.

In fact, Sommers says, the benefits outweigh the cons. “We’ve seen that after implementing a $10.10 minimum wage our teams are performing better, our labor cost is under budget, our sales are great and we’re expanding.”

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